Karen Read jury reaches 10 people during third day of selection in Massachusetts courtroom
The jury in the high-profile Karen Read murder trial has reached 10 people after the third day of selection on Thursday in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Cameras are allowed at the beginning of jury selection each day, but are then required to be shut off through the end of the day.
As of Thursday afternoon, five men and five women have been added to the jury.
Karen Read trial
Prosecutors accuse Read of hitting and killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV following a night of heavy drinking in 2022 and leaving him to die in the snow. Read accuses law enforcement and several other people of trying to frame her. Her defense team says O'Keefe was actually killed during a fight inside the Canton home where his body was found in the yard.
Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
Karen Read jury selection
Hundreds of potential jurors have been called to Norfolk Superior Court over the opening days of jury selection, which started on Tuesday. The goal is to seat a jury of 16 people for the trial.
There was a smaller pool Thursday than the first two days. There were 40 new people in the courtroom, plus 34 who started the process on Wednesday and were called back.
Potential jurors are first questioned as a group, then fill out paperwork and are questioned individually by Judge Beverly Cannone and attorneys. They are either added to the jury, or sent home.
It's been evident that it will be challenging for Judge Cannone to find an unbiased jury with such a highly publicized case.
Of the 178 prospective jurors questioned over the first two days, 155 had seen, heard of or discussed the case. Additionally, 78 said they have already formed an opinion and 30 told the judge they have already formed a bias toward one side or the other.
The results were similar on the third day. Of the 40 new prospective jurors, 37 had heard of the case, 21 have formed an opinion and four said they have formed a bias.
WBZ Legal Analyst Katherine Loftus explains what lawyers look for when picking jurors. It's a little bit about stereotypes, but mostly, she says, about gut.
"From my perspective, it's less about being diverse in, maybe you know, gender or race as opposed to sort of experience in life," Loftus said. "So, you want people from different backgrounds, that sort of when you, when they come together as the jury, you know, have different experiences."
Buffer zone violation tickets
Outside courthouse, there was a very different vibe than the first trial.
Karen Read's supporters cheer her on from far away, outside the buffer zones, as police write tickets for anyone who yells, honks, or otherwise demonstrates too close to the courthouse. The buffer zone violation tickets are $55.
A group of Read's supporters have filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing the court mandated buffer zones violate their constitutional rights.
How to watch Karen Read trial
The Karen Read trial will be streaming live on CBS News Boston from opening statements right through the verdict.
For a full timeline of the Karen Read case, click here.
