A federal judge just slammed the brakes on Karen Read’s latest attempt to delay her state trial, ruling that her ongoing appeal in federal court isn't a good enough reason to push back the proceedings. That means the clock keeps ticking toward April 1, when her second trial is set to begin in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Let’s break it down. Karen Read's legal team had asked for a nearly month-long delay—from April 1 to April 28—arguing that they shouldn’t be picking a jury while her federal appeal is still unresolved. Why? Because that appeal could potentially drop two of the three charges she's facing: second-degree murder and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. If those charges get tossed, that obviously changes what the jury would be hearing—and the defense says they can’t pick a fair panel until that’s sorted.

But Judge Beverly Cannone wasn’t buying it. She denied the request flat-out. Her reasoning? Jurors have already been summoned for duty starting April 1, and if they’re seated by April 25, then maybe—maybe—she’ll revisit the situation with Read’s attorneys. But until then, trial prep continues as scheduled. And it’s not just a handful of people showing up either—we’re talking 275 potential jurors per day being called in that week. That’s a small army.

Now, that’s not the only courtroom drama happening around Read. There's also a new ruling allowing some of her private communications to become evidence in the trial—specifically, her messages with blogger Aiden Kearney, better known online as “Turtleboy.” A judge has cleared the way for prosecutors to use certain photos, videos, and data from April to October 2023 that allegedly point to witness intimidation or attempts to influence the family members of witnesses. 

That hearing had a bit of a scene, too. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan argued in favor of using the messages before Read even showed up. When she did, she sat down alongside Kearney and his lawyer—definitely not your typical courtroom seating chart. 

Meanwhile, prosecutors are also digging into communications between Read and her own attorney, David Yannetti. They’ve filed a motion asking the court to hand over their text messages exchanged between January 28 and February 2, 2022. That’s just days after Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe—Read’s boyfriend at the time—was found dead.

Why do they want those texts? Prosecutors argue that Read waived her attorney-client privilege, at least for that specific period, because she spoke publicly about those conversations. They’re pointing to her interviews with Vanity Fair, Boston Magazine, and her appearance in that recent HBO Max and ID docuseries as proof. Essentially, the state is saying: if you’re going to talk about it on camera, we get to look at the receipts.

To rewind for context—Karen Read is a 45-year-old financial analyst who was living in Mansfield back in 2022. She’s accused of hitting O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him in the snow to die outside a home in Canton. She’s pleaded not guilty to all charges: second-degree murder, leaving the scene of injury or death, and manslaughter while under the influence. Her first trial ended in July 2024 with a hung jury—no verdict either way.

Read will be back in court Tuesday at 11 a.m. for a pretrial hearing. Unless something dramatic changes, jury selection for her second trial begins April 1 at Norfolk Superior Court.

#KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrimePodcast #CourtroomDrama

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