Who is the judge in the Karen Read trial? What to know about Beverly Cannone.
The Karen Read case has gained national attention, with her second trial now underway in Dedham, Massachusetts. So who is the judge? Here's what to know about Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone.
Cannone oversaw Read's first trial, which ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. She's back for the second trial.
Who is Judge Beverly Cannone?
Cannone grew up in Massachusetts and went to the University of Massachusetts, followed by New England School of Law.
For 24 years, Cannone worked as a public defender for the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Cannone was attorney-in-charge for the Dedham office. In 2002, she received the Massachusetts Bar Association's Access to Justice Defender of the Year award.
In 2009, Cannone was appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick as a judge in Quincy District Court. Patrick then appointed her to Norfolk Superior Court in 2014.
Clashes with Karen Read's attorneys
Read's defense attorneys have frequently been at odds with Cannone in the courtroom. During a hearing in July 2023, Alan Jackson asked Cannone to recuse herself from the case, claiming she was unable to be impartial.
Jackson presented a message between witness Jennifer McCabe's brother-in-law Sean McCabe and a reporter in which Sean McCabe purportedly wrote, "Auntie Bev??? Whose seaside cottage do you think we're gonna bury your corpse under?"
Cannone declined to recuse herself, then rebuked the defense's allegations against her.
"That simply is not the truth," Cannone said about accusations that she knew people involved in the case. "I can tell both parties I don't know Sean McCabe. As far as I know, I have never spoken to him, or had any contact with him. I've never interacted with him and certainly I've never socialized with him or any family members, or any witnesses who have been said here in court."
Defense attorneys also took issue with Cannone's handling of deliberations in the first trial. Jurors have said they were unanimous in a vote behind closed doors to acquit Read on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. Jurors said they remained deadlocked on the charge of manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol.
Cannone declared a mistrial, but Read's defense argued two of the charges should be dismissed because of double jeopardy. They have appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court after several unsuccessful lower level appeals.
In advance of Read's second trial, Cannone clashed with Jackson again, this time over crash reconstruction witnesses who testified during the first trial and are expected to testify again as defense witnesses in the second trial.
Cannone admonished the defense team during the March pretrial hearing for "repeated misrepresentations" to the court, though she declined to remove any attorneys from the case.
Judge Beverly Cannone past mistrial
While on the bench at Norfolk Superior Court, Cannone oversaw another trial that ended in a mistrial and subsequent second trial.
Cannone was the judge in the trial of Emanuel Lopes, who was charged with killing Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna and innocent bystander Vera Adams in 2018.
Jurors deliberated in Norfolk Superior Court for days after getting the case in 2023, but could not decide whether Lopes was a murderer or mentally ill. Cannone declared a mistrial and dismissed the jurors.
In early 2024, not long before Read's first trial got underway, Cannone oversaw Lopes' second trial. After six days of deliberations, jurors found Lopes guilty of murder.
Do judges change for retrials?
WBZ-TV legal analyst Katherine Loftus said it is not uncommon for judges to stay on for retrials after overseeing a mistrial.
Loftus said normally, Superior Court judges rotate every three months. But in Read's case, Cannone was specially appointed to retain jurisdiction by the Chief of Courts.
"It makes the most sense for the judge who understands what happened through the first trial to stay on it," Loftus said. "I don't think it's about wanting to stay on the case. I think it's about the logistics of it. It's fairly common with serious Superior Court jury trials for the judge to retain jurisdiction from the first trial to the second trial."
"Apex for her life's work so far"
Retired Massachusetts judge Jack Lu told WBZ's Kristina Rex that Cannone is presiding over a unique case when it comes to Read's trial.
"Judge Cannone is presiding over a first. Social media conspiracy theories click-free driven has now entered the Massachusetts criminal system," Lu said.
Lu said Cannone's handling of the case is a key moment in her career.
"Judge Cannone was a widely respected defense lawyer, having received an award for Defender of the Year. She has many years in trial experience from before she was a judge, defending the most difficult cases," Lu said. "This case is Judge Cannone at the top of her game, an apex for her life's work so far."
