Deliberations in the Karen Read murder trial resumed Monday morning with “deeply divided” jurors again telling the judge that they remain deadlocked and can’t reach a verdict.
In a note, they said in part, “We find ourselves divided by fundamental differences in our opinions.”
When could judge in Karen Read murder trial declare a mistrial?
Read, 44, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe with her car and leaving him for dead in the snow in Canton in January 2022, but the defense has made a case that she is being framed.
Jurors have been deliberating since Tuesday, June 25. Monday marks the fifth day of deliberations.
LIVE UPDATES FROM COURT:
11:10 a.m.
- Judge Cannone gives the jury Tuey-Rodriguez instructions or a “dynamite” charge after the jury indicates they are “deeply divided” and have “fundamental differences” and a “census is unattainable.”
- The Court clerk says the judge will have to declare a mistrial if the jury comes back again, after this, without a verdict.
11 a.m.
- Breaking: The jury has come back a 2nd time in Karen Read murder trial saying they are deadlocked.
- The judge now asks both sides how they want to proceed. Lally says they need to keep going. Yannetti says it’s time to give the jury the “dynamite” or now or never instructions for a final push.
- We should hear the contents of the note they sent to the judge shortly when the jury is brought back in.
10:50 a.m.
- Everyone is being brought back into the courtroom. I’m told possible jury questions but we’ll find out soon.
9:30 a.m.
- Karen and her legal team have left the courthouse and are waiting at a nearby church to see if jurors reach a verdict today.
9:05 a.m.
- No apparent issues over the weekend. The jury is back at it.
9 a.m.
- Jurors enter the courtroom for morning check-in with Judge Cannone.
PREVIOUS STORY:
On Friday, those jurors sent the judge a note saying that despite an exhaustive review of the evidence and diligent consideration, they had been unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
“The note doesn’t really indicate, affirmatively that they can’t come to a conclusion. It just says that they haven’t come to a conclusion,” prosecutor Adam Lally said.
Defense attorney David Yannetti responded, “They’re communicating to the court that they’ve exhausted all manner of compromise.” He continued, “They have nowhere to turn.”
Judge Beverly Cannone called this a long case with 74 witnesses, 657 exhibits, and very complex issues. She said she’s not prepared to find that there have been due and thorough deliberations at this point.
Boston 25 News legal expert Peter Elikann weighed in, saying it’s not unusual for deliberations to last multiple weeks and it wouldn’t be surprising for the judge to send them back to the jury room again should they say they still couldn’t reach a verdict.
“A lot of people probably thought you go into a jury room you chat around the table for 45 minutes or so and you all kind of take a vote and it’s over but that’s not how it is,” Elikann said.
Elikann added, “There’s just so much to go over if you want to do a serious diligent job.”
Court resumes Monday at 9 a.m.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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