Judge Orders Karen Read’s Defense to Justify Witness Allegations in Murder Case

In a recent hearing concerning Karen Read's retrial for the alleged murder of Boston police officer John O'Keefe, Judge Beverly Cannone expressed significant concern over allegations that Read's defense team improperly coordinated with expert witnesses from ARCCA. Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan revealed that the defense paid the experts approximately $23,000, despite previous claims that they were retained independently, raising questions about the fairness of the trial. The defense's first trial ended in a hung jury, and they are now facing scrutiny for potentially misleading the court about the nature of their relationship with the expert witnesses. Judge Cannone has scheduled a resumption of the hearing for February 25, instructing the defense to prepare to address these allegations. Read, who maintains her innocence, is set for retrial on April 1, with the prosecution pushing to exclude the testimony of the ARCCA experts. The case continues to unfold amid claims of a cover-up surrounding O'Keefe's death, which Read's attorneys argue was the result of foul play rather than a vehicular incident.