Topline: The panel raised four questions Tuesday, including one that suggests a possible impasse.
Published: June 18, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Background: Screeshot of news coverage by WFXT. Inset: Officer John O'Keefe, left, and Karen Read.
DEDHAM, MA — The second full day of jury deliberations in the high-profile retrial of Karen Read saw no verdict, but it did see the jury raise a question that hinted at potential gridlock.
Jurors in the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham submitted four questions to Judge Beverly Cannone on Tuesday—one of which raised eyebrows for suggesting that the panel may be struggling to reach consensus on at least one of the three charges against Read.
According to WBZ-TV, the jury asked, “If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?”
That query prompted a careful response from Judge Cannone, who told attorneys in court, without the jury present, that she could not answer what she called a “theoretical question.” She reminded counsel that jurors are not to consider the consequences of their verdict.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson objected, urging the court to explicitly tell the jury that the question was premature. “We are going to end up in the exact same position that we were in last year,” Jackson warned, referencing the hung jury that led to the current retrial.
The current 12-member jury—seven women and five men—had been deliberating for over ten hours since receiving the case Friday afternoon when their questions were addressed by Judge Cannone. Their task: determine whether Karen Read is guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death.
The charges stem from the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found unresponsive in a snowbank outside a fellow officer’s home in Canton on January 29, 2022.
Prosecutors argue Read, 45, struck O’Keefe with her SUV in a drunken rage and left him to die. The defense paints a radically different picture, accusing members of the local law enforcement community of conspiring to cover up what they claim was a brutal assault inside the home of Officer Brian Albert—possibly involving a dog attack—followed by a staged crime scene.
According to WFXT, Tuesday’s developments began after about two hours of deliberations when the jury submitted three initial questions: one about the timeframe for the operating under the influence charge, another about whether video clips from Read’s media interviews are considered evidence, and a third concerning how to interpret the verdict slip for count two—the manslaughter charge.
On that third point, jurors appeared confused about whether a guilty finding on a lesser charge—specifically “offense two, No. 5″—would result in a conviction on the broader count. Cannone clarified by providing a revised verdict slip and individual copies for each juror. “I hope this will clear up any confusion,” she said in court.
The verdict slip itself has become a point of contention. On Monday, Read’s defense filed a motion to amend the document, arguing that the form’s structure heavily favored guilty verdicts by providing multiple options for guilt and only one for acquittal. They asked the court to add a “not guilty” checkbox for the lesser included offenses.
“The current jury verdict slip has the real potential to confuse the jury and cause errors,” the filing stated.
Cannone denied the motion, asserting the slip complies with Massachusetts law and must be read in context with her jury instructions.
According to WBZ-TV, one juror from the first trial, who requested anonymity, reacted to the latest jury question by saying, “Yup, that’s a great question. Hopefully they get it right this time.”
Deliberations are scheduled to continue Wednesday.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Deadlock Looming? Jury Questions Hint at Division in Karen Read Trial
The panel raised four questions Tuesday, including one that suggests a possible impasse.
By Jacob Charles
Published: June 18, 2025 8:00 am ET
Background: Screeshot of news coverage by WFXT. Inset: Officer John O'Keefe, left, and Karen Read.
DEDHAM, MA — The second full day of jury deliberations in the high-profile retrial of Karen Read saw no verdict, but it did see the jury raise a question that hinted at potential gridlock.
Jurors in the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham submitted four questions to Judge Beverly Cannone on Tuesday—one of which raised eyebrows for suggesting that the panel may be struggling to reach consensus on at least one of the three charges against Read.
According to WBZ-TV, the jury asked, “If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?”
That query prompted a careful response from Judge Cannone, who told attorneys in court, without the jury present, that she could not answer what she called a “theoretical question.” She reminded counsel that jurors are not to consider the consequences of their verdict.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson objected, urging the court to explicitly tell the jury that the question was premature. “We are going to end up in the exact same position that we were in last year,” Jackson warned, referencing the hung jury that led to the current retrial.
The current 12-member jury—seven women and five men—had been deliberating for over ten hours since receiving the case Friday afternoon when their questions were addressed by Judge Cannone. Their task: determine whether Karen Read is guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death.
The charges stem from the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found unresponsive in a snowbank outside a fellow officer’s home in Canton on January 29, 2022.
Prosecutors argue Read, 45, struck O’Keefe with her SUV in a drunken rage and left him to die. The defense paints a radically different picture, accusing members of the local law enforcement community of conspiring to cover up what they claim was a brutal assault inside the home of Officer Brian Albert—possibly involving a dog attack—followed by a staged crime scene.
According to WFXT, Tuesday’s developments began after about two hours of deliberations when the jury submitted three initial questions: one about the timeframe for the operating under the influence charge, another about whether video clips from Read’s media interviews are considered evidence, and a third concerning how to interpret the verdict slip for count two—the manslaughter charge.
On that third point, jurors appeared confused about whether a guilty finding on a lesser charge—specifically “offense two, No. 5″—would result in a conviction on the broader count. Cannone clarified by providing a revised verdict slip and individual copies for each juror. “I hope this will clear up any confusion,” she said in court.
The verdict slip itself has become a point of contention. On Monday, Read’s defense filed a motion to amend the document, arguing that the form’s structure heavily favored guilty verdicts by providing multiple options for guilt and only one for acquittal. They asked the court to add a “not guilty” checkbox for the lesser included offenses.
“The current jury verdict slip has the real potential to confuse the jury and cause errors,” the filing stated.
Cannone denied the motion, asserting the slip complies with Massachusetts law and must be read in context with her jury instructions.
According to WBZ-TV, one juror from the first trial, who requested anonymity, reacted to the latest jury question by saying, “Yup, that’s a great question. Hopefully they get it right this time.”
Deliberations are scheduled to continue Wednesday.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Deadlock Looming? Jury Questions Hint at Division in Karen Read Trial
The panel raised four questions Tuesday, including one that suggests a possible impasse.
By Jacob Charles
Published: June 18, 2025 8:00 am ET
Background: Screeshot of news coverage by WFXT. Inset: Officer John O'Keefe, left, and Karen Read.
DEDHAM, MA — The second full day of jury deliberations in the high-profile retrial of Karen Read saw no verdict, but it did see the jury raise a question that hinted at potential gridlock.
Jurors in the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham submitted four questions to Judge Beverly Cannone on Tuesday—one of which raised eyebrows for suggesting that the panel may be struggling to reach consensus on at least one of the three charges against Read.
According to WBZ-TV, the jury asked, “If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?”
That query prompted a careful response from Judge Cannone, who told attorneys in court, without the jury present, that she could not answer what she called a “theoretical question.” She reminded counsel that jurors are not to consider the consequences of their verdict.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson objected, urging the court to explicitly tell the jury that the question was premature. “We are going to end up in the exact same position that we were in last year,” Jackson warned, referencing the hung jury that led to the current retrial.
The current 12-member jury—seven women and five men—had been deliberating for over ten hours since receiving the case Friday afternoon when their questions were addressed by Judge Cannone. Their task: determine whether Karen Read is guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death.
The charges stem from the death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found unresponsive in a snowbank outside a fellow officer’s home in Canton on January 29, 2022.
Prosecutors argue Read, 45, struck O’Keefe with her SUV in a drunken rage and left him to die. The defense paints a radically different picture, accusing members of the local law enforcement community of conspiring to cover up what they claim was a brutal assault inside the home of Officer Brian Albert—possibly involving a dog attack—followed by a staged crime scene.
According to WFXT, Tuesday’s developments began after about two hours of deliberations when the jury submitted three initial questions: one about the timeframe for the operating under the influence charge, another about whether video clips from Read’s media interviews are considered evidence, and a third concerning how to interpret the verdict slip for count two—the manslaughter charge.
On that third point, jurors appeared confused about whether a guilty finding on a lesser charge—specifically “offense two, No. 5″—would result in a conviction on the broader count. Cannone clarified by providing a revised verdict slip and individual copies for each juror. “I hope this will clear up any confusion,” she said in court.
The verdict slip itself has become a point of contention. On Monday, Read’s defense filed a motion to amend the document, arguing that the form’s structure heavily favored guilty verdicts by providing multiple options for guilt and only one for acquittal. They asked the court to add a “not guilty” checkbox for the lesser included offenses.
“The current jury verdict slip has the real potential to confuse the jury and cause errors,” the filing stated.
Cannone denied the motion, asserting the slip complies with Massachusetts law and must be read in context with her jury instructions.
According to WBZ-TV, one juror from the first trial, who requested anonymity, reacted to the latest jury question by saying, “Yup, that’s a great question. Hopefully they get it right this time.”
Deliberations are scheduled to continue Wednesday.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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