The defendant Karen Read will not testify because the proceedings play crucial interviews
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The decision of the Karen Read's defense team not to call them at the stand of witnesses is a bet that could help or hinder his file after the accusation played his damaging interview clips during his second murder trial – allowing the jury to hear the version of Read events in his own words.
Read faces the possibility of life in prison for the alleged murder of his boyfriend, the Boston police officer John O'Keefe. The statements of the Lues accusation struck O'Keefe with his SUV Lexus in a drunk argument, letting him freeze to death in the courtyard of a friend's party shortly after midnight on January 29, 2022.
Read's defense team insists that his vehicle never contacted O'Keefe and there was no collision.
“When I came to train for the first time, he was” never put your client on the stand, “, said the defendant of New York Defense, Louis Gelormino, in Fox News Digital. “But I tend to disagree with it sometimes. I think we got our biggest victories when we put our customer on the stand.”
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Karen read walks with one of his lawyers, Alan Jackson, during his trial on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone / The Boston Herald via AP, swimming pool)
Tuesday, the defense submitted the instructions of the jury proposed by the team which indicate that the reading will not take the position in its trial.
“As you know, Ms. Read did not testify during this essay,” said the instructions. “You cannot hold it against her. Ms. Read has an absolute right not to testify because, as I explained, she is presumed innocent and has nothing to do to convince you that she is innocent.”
The instructions underline that the reason why Lue has chosen not to take the position of the witness is not relevant for the deliberations of the jury and cannot be considered as proof in his trial. Legal experts tell Fox News Digital that the choice of preventing an accused from speaking is not always the best choice.
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Karen Read and John O'Keefe pose for an undated photograph. (Karen Read)
Gelormino said he thought that Read would organize a strong performance on the positions of witnesses, but calling him to testify is not without risk.
“I think the reason they hide it is because they don't want to have to explain all these videos to her that they saw her not in the right direction,” said Gelormino.
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Karen read discussions with his lawyers Robert Alessi and David Yannetti during his trial at the Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone / The Boston Herald via AP, swimming pool)
The Hank Brennan special prosecutor has played many clips from Read television interviews, choosing clips that could potentially damage the defense.
“I also wonder, I said:” I could have hit him “” “” Read In an interview in 2024 with Discovery investigation. “Or he told me that I said that I had struck him. And I knew I could never have said that, so the closest thing I had to say was:” Did I hit him? “”
In the clip, read questions if it ” [said] He claims it as much as the police claim it. “”
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In another clip, she spoke of pivoting her own drinks with additional blows because they were not strong enough.
Gelormino said the defense team probably did not want Read to be confronted with their declarations on the counter-examination, perhaps opening the door for days of question of the State.
“They don't want to explain it all these bad behaviors or what people think is bad behavior,” said Gelormino.
But the choice of continuing to read the stand could potentially prevent him from providing an explanation to his statements in interviews while clarifying his side of history.
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The prosecutor Hank Brennan questions a witness during the trial for murder of Karen Read at the Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday May 27, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Matt Stone / The Boston Herald via AP, swimming pool)
“There are two sides of each room,” Gelormino told Fox News Digital. “You can put it and try to have it explained, or you can avoid it completely.”
Gelormino stressed the reality that Read could appear defensive while offering an explanation to his stories to the camera, which could change the perception of the jury of his personality.
“As a defense lawyer, you will have to clean this,” said Gelormino. “So you will spend a lot of time defending your character there.”
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Karen Read arrives before the court on the 22nd day of the trial for murder of Karen Read at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts, Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (Greg derr / The Patriot Ledger / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Videos put a new obstacle for defense, because they were not played in the first DEP trial last year.
“The first jury almost condemned the reading of a guilty manslaughter as he operated under the influence,” said Jack Lu to Fox News Digital du Massachusetts, judge of the Superior Court and Professor of Law of Boston College. “It was without defending video statements. Here we have many harmful statements, and perhaps some others in refutation.”
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Lu said the defense had not tried to treat video clips or provide a context concerning the version of Read events at this stage of the test.
“So the same trial plus the damaging video, where the almost condemned jury is bad for the defense,” said read.
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While the defense continues to call witnesses, the notable absence of Read's own testimony will probably be fully felt once the jury reads its verdict, the accusation acting as the only side which has chosen to include its own words in the courtroom.
“Based on the fact that they had a jury hanging the last time, [the defense has] A decent case, “Gelormino told Fox News Digital.” So, do you want to spoil this with its defense its actions and its character for the next two or three days on the stand? It is a difficult decision. “”
