A gag order sought by prosecutors in the case of Karen Read, the woman charged with second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, was denied by a judge Monday.
Read is accused of killing O’Keefe on January 29, 2022, after a night at the bar. Police said she ran him over with her truck while she was dropping him off at a house party in Canton after they had been arguing. Her lawyers have argued that someone else must have killed O’Keefe and claimed a cover-up.
The growing media attention on the case has recently become part of the legal arguments. Prosecutors filed a motion last Tuesday asking her and her lawyers to stop speaking to the media.
Judge Beverly Cannone said in her ruling Monday that “while it is true that the defendant’s attorney’s statements cited by the Commonwealth are inflammatory and appear to have fueled much of the publicity in this case, the Court does not find, at this time, that there is a substantial likelihood that the statements will materially prejudice the process.”
Karen Read, 41, of Mansfield, appeared in court Wednesday after being arrested Tuesday night on a warrant in the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, 46. she had six bloody lacerations on her right arm, both of her eyes were swollen shut and black and blue and her clothing was saturated with blood and vomit.
“The statements in question can generally be characterized as responses to the charges against the defendant and as pertaining to the theory of her defense. Therefore, they are permitted by the rules,” the judge wrote. “Furthermore, the likelihood that they could cause any material harm is minimized by the fact that no trial date has been scheduled.”
The court noted that the defense attorney’s statements to the media “possibly crossed the line of permissibility at times.”
Going forward, the judge said the defense attorney must ensure that “his statements are limited in accordance with the rules.” He also said neither party should interpret Monday’s decision as barring a future court order limiting attorneys’ statements.
