BOSTON — On Tuesday, attorneys representing Karen Read filed a motion seeking to halt her retrial related to the death of her boyfriend, who served as a Boston police officer.
The allegations against Read stem from an incident where she is accused of colliding with John O’Keefe using her SUV and subsequently abandoning him in a snowstorm during January 2022.
She is set to face a second trial in April for charges that include second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a crime.

Read’s legal team contends that she has been unjustly implicated in the case, asserting that the accusations are part of an effort to shield other law enforcement officials involved in O’Keefe’s demise.
Following a mistrial in June, Read’s defense has been working to block a retrial for certain charges, particularly citing jurors’ statements indicating they were only deadlocked on the manslaughter charge.

Recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court authorized the retrial for all three charges against Read.
Nonetheless, her attorneys filed a motion in federal court on Tuesday, claiming that pursuing a retrial would infringe upon her constitutional rights against double jeopardy.
A federal judge has instructed the state to provide a response by February 26 and has arranged a hearing for March 5 to address the matter.