Blood alcohol, witness misconduct, and texts: lawyers' motions shape Karen Read's second trial
This week, "motions in limine" for Karen Read's second trial were due to the court. Motions in limine are pretrial motions that seek the exclusion of specific evidence or arguments from being presented during a trial, according to Cornell Law.
There is a hearing scheduled on these requests for March 18, but Judge Cannone may grant or deny these requests on paper before that hearing.
There are more than a dozen requests from both prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Summaries of the motions
- Defense attorneys want any evidence of an alleged fight between Karen Read and John O'Keefe on a vacation in Aruba in December 2021 to be excluded from trial.
- Defense attorneys have requested that witnesses be sequestered, and specifically asked for witnesses (potentially with exceptions for family) not to come in the courtroom. A reminder: witnesses Jen McCabe, Kerry Roberts, Brian Albert, and Colin Albert came and sat with the O'Keefe family during closing arguments in the first trial.
- Defense attorneys want mention of their payment to ARCCA witnesses excluded or partially excluded from trial. They also want the witnesses to be able to testify that they were hired as part of a federal investigation by the US Attorney's office, which has since closed.
- Defense attorneys want prosecutors to have no contact with witnesses during or after their testimony.
- Prosecutors want any evidence of an ongoing internal affairs investigation into police involved in this case excluded from trial.
- Prosecutors want the defense to be prohibited from using a third-party culprit defense.
- Prosecutors want evidence of Karen Read's blood alcohol level and testing done admitted at trial; defense attorneys want it excluded.
- Defense attorneys are considering calling Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey to the stand; prosecutors want evidence demonstrating why this is necessary before they do.
- Prosecutors want evidence of witnesses' prior misconduct, or "bad character" excluded from evidence, claiming defense attorneys alleged that nearly every witness was a liar in the first trial.
Full analysis of motions
For a full analysis of these motions, WBZ spoke at length with our legal analyst Katherine Loftus, which can be viewed on our YouTube page here.
Karen Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV in 2022. Her defense argues she is the victim of an elaborate coverup and is being framed by a group of people that includes law enforcement.
Jury selection for Read's second trial will begin on April 1.
