BOSTON — A decision made by a judge on Thursday stated that Karen Read will not be required to participate in a deposition for her wrongful death lawsuit until her criminal trial in January takes place.
According to Judge William M. White Jr.’s ruling, the legal proceedings related to the lawsuit will be postponed. The lawsuit implicates Read in the death of John O’Keefe, who served as a Boston police officer and was romantically linked to her. It also claims that bars continued to serve her alcohol despite her apparent intoxication.
Read has entered a plea of not guilty and is preparing for a retrial regarding serious charges that include second-degree murder, manslaughter linked to operating a vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The first trial, which lasted two months, concluded in July when the presiding judge declared a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury. The judge dismissed claims made by jurors indicating they had later reached a unanimous decision clearing Read of murder and hit-and-run charges.
An appeal has been filed concerning the judge’s ruling, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is set to hear oral arguments next week concerning her request to dismiss the two significant charges against her.
Legal representatives for Read had submitted a motion to defer the lawsuit proceedings, arguing that the ongoing criminal case could infringe upon her Fifth Amendment rights and impede her ability to mount a robust defense against the criminal allegations she faces.
Read stands accused of colliding with O’Keefe using her SUV and leaving him unattended during a snowstorm in January 2022. A new trial date has been set for January 27.
However, the lawyer representing O’Keefe’s brother, Paul, alongside other family members who initiated the wrongful death suit, is against any delay in the case. They argue that claiming the Fifth Amendment protection is inconsistent with Read’s previous public statements about her case and her involvement in an upcoming documentary.
Following an evening of drinking, Read, who previously worked as an adjunct professor at Bentley College, dropped O’Keefe off outside the residence of another police officer in Canton. His body was later discovered in the front yard. An autopsy report indicated that O’Keefe’s death resulted from a combination of hypothermia and blunt force trauma.
Defending Read, her attorneys contend that O’Keefe was actually killed inside the residence, suggesting that the individuals present chose to implicate her because she represented a convenient outside party in the situation.