The Battle to Seat a Jury in the Karen Read Case-A Glimpse Into the Final Days of Jury Selection
The Battle to Seat a Jury in the Karen Read Case-A Glimpse Into the Final Days of Jury Selection
By 9 a.m. yesterday morning, the ninth day of jury selection in Karen Read’s retrial was already off to a predictable start—crowded courtroom, skeptical jurors, and a legal system trying to keep its balance on a tightrope of publicity and public opinion. Out of the 55 potential jurors who showed up to Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, a staggering 49 admitted they had already seen, heard, or talked about the case. That’s nearly everyone. And 24 of them said, yep, they’d already made up their minds. Perfect conditions for a fair trial, right?
Let’s back up. Karen Read is the woman accused of backing her SUV into her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, after a night of drinking in January 2022. She's facing charges that include second-degree murder and manslaughter while operating under the influence, but her defense team claims this is a frame job—that someone else is responsible and she’s been hung out to dry. The prosecution, on the other hand, says she ran him down and left him to die in the snow outside a Canton home.
The original plan was to seat 16 jurors, but somewhere along the way that got bumped up to 18. Only 12 of them will actually deliberate—standard setup, with six alternates waiting in the wings in case someone drops out. But that small detail underlines something bigger: this jury pool is treated like an endangered species. And with good reason. The sheer volume of pretrial noise, especially online, has made the idea of an unbiased juror feel more like a theory than a possibility.
So what’s it actually like to be a potential juror in this case? First, they’re herded into the courtroom, where Judge Beverly Cannone gives the same speech every morning. She tells them what prosecutors say happened—Read allegedly struck O’Keefe with her car—and reminds them that Read is presumed innocent. Then, she basically warns them that the circus outside the courtroom isn’t going anywhere. “Public comment will likely continue,” she tells them, “but the rule of law will be upheld.” It’s part pep talk, part damage control.
Then comes the witness list: 150 names. Yes, 150. It’s a small-town phone book worth of people who might end up taking the stand. After that, there’s a three-page questionnaire. Then, and only then, does the real work begin—individual questioning.
Each side gets 16 strikes. That means they can boot a juror for pretty much any reason short of discrimination. Karen Read’s team had already used 10 by Monday, which means they’re being strategic, saving a few in the chamber for later rounds.
And speaking of later rounds—some of these potential jurors aren’t just walking in with opinions, they’re walking in with conflicts. Of the 55 questioned Monday, 28 said they had scheduling issues serious enough to interfere with trial participation. Students, surgeries, you name it. One can only imagine the creative excuses stacking up like a game of Jury Duty Bingo.
All of this matters because this case is as much about optics and perception as it is about evidence. And seating an impartial jury in a trial that has consumed TikTok, Facebook, and group chats across Massachusetts is like trying to find someone in Boston who’s never heard of Tom Brady.
The first trial took five full days to seat a jury. We’re now nine days into the second round, and the court has managed to get 16 people locked in. Two more to go. If that happens quickly, opening statements could come as soon as Tuesday—at least, that’s what Read herself told reporters.
But don’t get comfortable. This jury selection process has made one thing abundantly clear: finding someone who hasn’t already been influenced by the whirlwind surrounding this case is a lot like trying to find a needle in a haystack where the haystack is actively watching Dateline.
#KarenRead #JurySelection #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrimeJustice
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