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This is why there was no Karen Read trial Thursday

Instead of the Read retrial, the Norfolk County Superior Court hosted speakers and an award ceremony for "Law Day."

Karen Read listens to testimony by Jennifer McCabe during her murder trail in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

By Molly Farrar

May 1, 2025

1 minute to read

Jennifer McCabe, a witness testifying in the trial of Karen Read, took the stand Wednesday, but she is set to return for additional testimony on Friday. But, why is the trial taking a day off?

Thursday is “Law Day,” said Jennifer Donahue, a spokesperson for the Judicial Branch of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with events held at courthouses state-wide.

It’s a national day held annually on May 1 since President Dwight Eisenhower established it in 1958. Each year, the day has a theme, and this year it’s “The Constitution’s Promise: Out of Many, One,” according to the American Bar Association.

Instead of the Read retrial Thursday, the Norfolk County Superior Court hosted speakers and an award ceremony. High school students and members of the senior community attended, and the event was open to the general public.

The Read trial began last week. Since then, John O’Keefe’s mother, state troopers, experts, and McCabe have taken the stand. Prosecutors allege Read drunkenly and deliberately backed her SUV into O’Keefe while dropping him off at the afterparty. Read’s lawyers contend she was framed in a vast conspiracy.

McCabe faced rapid-fire questions from defense attorney Alan Jackson Wednesday. During the cross-examination, McCabe and Jackson traded barbs and occasionally interrupted or talked over one another.

McCabe, who previously testified she was drinking with friends and family at the Waterfall Bar & Grille in Canton on Jan. 28, 2022, was still on the stand when court ended Wednesday. Her testimony will continue Friday.