Alan Jackson Joins Karen Read Civil Defense Team

Alan Jackson, the attorney who helped secure Karen Read's acquittal on murder charges, is rejoining her defense team for a civil wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of John O’Keefe, her late boyfriend. The suit, which seeks at least $50,000 in damages, also targets two Canton bars accused of overserving Read before O'Keefe's death. Read was acquitted of murder and manslaughter in June 2025 but convicted of operating under the influence. The O’Keefe family alleges Read intentionally struck O’Keefe with her SUV while intoxicated and left him at the scene, while Read claims she was framed as part of a law enforcement cover-up. Read’s team, now including Jackson and Elizabeth Little, has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The civil case, assigned to a different judge than the criminal trial, remains pending with the potential for new information to surface.