Prosecutors within the Karen Learn homicide case will solely be allowed to show over communications between the defendant and activist blogger Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, a ruling made simply days forward of jury choice starting within the second trial.
Decide Adam Sisitsky has maintained that the order he issued final week is solely for communications between Learn and Kearney, not their attorneys, that present proof of witness intimidation.
Hank Brennan, the particular prosecutor within the Learn case, has been making an attempt to ascertain a “consciousness of guilt” on the defendant’s half and has argued that materials shared along with her and Kearney’s attorneys would assist additional depict that.
Robert Cosgrove, a particular prosecutor in Kearney’s witness intimidation case, additionally argued that disclosure of communication with the attorneys can be required for the fabric between Learn and Kearney to be completely offered.
“The actions of Ms. Read’s attorneys on her behalf are the actions of Ms. Read,” Cosgrove stated Friday. “If one reads the sweep of the communications between Mr. Yannetti and Mr. Kearney and between Mr. Jackson and Mr. Kearney, and Ms. Read and Mr. Kearney, one sees a pattern of feeding information to Mr. Kearney.”
“I think they act together in that respect,” he added.
Learn, 45, of Mansfield is charged with second-degree homicide, manslaughter whereas working a motorized vehicle underneath the affect, and leaving the scene of an accident inflicting loss of life. She’s accused of killing Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, her boyfriend of about two years on the time, on Jan. 29, 2022.
Learn’s first trial led to a mistrial final July. Jury choice is ready to start on Tuesday within the second trial.
Kearney, 43, of Holden, is a staunch defender of Learn’s via his YouTube movies and a community of blogs and social media accounts underneath the “Turtleboy,” model. He’s charged with a number of counts of witness intimidation within the Learn case.
Brennan argued Friday that the communications between Kearney and his attorneys and Learn and her attorneys weren’t privileged, that means he felt the prosecution ought to have entry to them.
“I don’t think I need to hear any further on this,” Sisitsky stated of the prosecution’s request for the communications to incorporate the attorneys. “The order is clear on its face.”
The choose advised Cosgrove to extract supplies involving the attorneys earlier than turning over the communications by the top of Monday.
Kearney’s legal professional Timothy Bradl stated he expects “exactly zero documents or texts or emails that should be responsive here.”
“There is no communication between Mr. Kearney and Ms. Read regarding witness intimidation,” he stated. “There are none.”
A federal choose dominated Thursday that Learn’s state retrial can proceed with all three fees, together with homicide, intact, denying her enchantment.
Shortly after mistrial final yr, the protection group stated that members of the trial jury had come ahead to say it was, regardless of three more and more assertive notes indicating an deadlock, solely held on the manslaughter cost and was able to acquit on the opposite two fees, together with manslaughter, however didn’t know they may return a partial verdict.
The protection argued that retrying Learn on the 2 fees the jury would have acquitted her on would violate her constitutional protections from Double Jeopardy — or being tried once more on the identical fees after being discovered harmless.
