Crime

This is why there’s no Karen Read trial today

“I am assured not only are we on schedule, we are ahead of schedule,” Judge Beverly Cannone told jurors Wednesday.

Kare Read, right, talks with her parents, William and Janet Read, during a break in the court proceedings on Wednesday. Greg Derr / The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool

By Abby Patkin

June 5, 2025

1 minute to read

Jurors in the Karen Read murder retrial got an unexpected day off Thursday as high temperatures sweep through the Boston area.

Judge Beverly Cannone explained the decision and offered a status update as she dismissed the jury Wednesday afternoon.

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“I am assured not only are we on schedule, we are ahead of schedule,” she said after meeting with the lawyers at sidebar.

“I understand tomorrow is supposed to be very hot,” Cannone continued. “The court officers are concerned about how we’re going to keep the fans and air conditioners going and be allowed to hear the witnesses. I’ve talked to the lawyers. Everybody’s in agreement that because we’re ahead of schedule, we’ll give you tomorrow off.”

Dedham, where Norfolk Superior Court is located, faces a high of 92 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday, according to AccuWeather. Given its original structure was built nearly 200 years ago, the courthouse can feel somewhat stifling on warmer days. While court officers have made use of a portable air conditioner and fans during Read’s retrial, the acoustics of the courtroom often necessitate turning the appliances off when witnesses are on the stand.

Read, 45, is charges with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal collision in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. Her lawyers contend she was framed in a vast law enforcement conspiracy.

Read told reporters Wednesday she was thankful for the additional day off, which gave her team extra time to prepare. Asked when the defense could rest its case, she replied, “Tuesday, give or take.”

The ongoing trial is Read’s second, following a deadlocked jury and a mistrial last summer. Testimony will resume Friday with a full day in court.