Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/JaBePBtlqQA

Day 36 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 18, 2025 and a Verdict was reached! After 4 days of deliberation, the jury in the Karen Read murder retrial delivered their verdicts. Karen Read was found not guilty of second-degree murder (Count 1) and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death (Count 3). She was found guilty only on the lesser included charge of operating under the influence (OUI) with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or greater (Count 2), which is a misdemeanor.

Immediately after the verdict, Karen Read was sentenced to one year of probation and a 24D program, which is a standard first-time OUI offer.

Outside the courthouse, Karen Read addressed the crowd while standing next to her defense team, David Yannetti, Alan Jackson, and Elizabeth Little, and Robert Alessi. Karen Read thanked her supporters and stated that no one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than she and her team. Her father also acknowledged the strength of Karen and the support of their extended family and the legal team.

There was confusion during the reading of the verdicts, likely due to an initial incorrect verdict form. This form was sealed. The Commonwealth cannot appeal the not guilty verdicts. It's unlikely anyone else will be charged in John O'Keefe's death for the same crime, but if there are issues with the investigation itself, those could be charged separately. There is still the civil case against Karen read by the O'Keefe family which I will follow up on in the future but for now, .

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/1FQDyZVIbho

Day 35 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 17, 2025. We are on the 3rd day of Verdict Watch and the jurors had questions!

1) They asked about the specific time frame for the OUI (Operating Under the Influence) charge, whether it was 12:45 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. The court responded that the jurors have all the evidence and are the sole fact-finders.

2) They asked if video clips of Karen Read's interviews were evidence and how they could consider them. The court affirmed that the videos are evidence and should be weighed like any other evidence. However, before considering any such statement, the jury must determine beyond a reasonable doubt that Read made the statement voluntarily, freely, and rationally.

3) The jury asked if convicting on a sub-charge (specifically offense two, number five, referring to the OUI) would automatically convict on the overall charges. The court introduced and read an amended verdict slip to clarify the process.

Later, the jury sent another question while the court was deliberating on how to answer the first 3 questions.

4) They were asking if finding "not guilty" on two charges but being unable to agree on a third, results in a hung jury on all three or just one. The court's initial inclination was to respond that it was a theoretical question and could not be answered, as jurors are not to be concerned with the consequences of their verdict. The defense objected, arguing that it was a question about how to report a verdict, not its consequences, and that the jury instructions already addressed this. Ultimately, the court decided to respond that it was a theoretical question and thus unanswerable.

No Verdict was made at the end of day, we'll see what happens on Day 36.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

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Join Emily as she breaks down the latest case outside of the Karen Read Retrial. Donna Adelson's quest for a change of venue is denied and her new trial is date set during the Bryan Kohberger trial. Kouri Richins new trial is set for February 2026 and there’s a possibility of her testifying! Plus, get the full breakdown of the massive dismissal in the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni lawsuit.

RESOURCES

Karen Read Retrial Day 33 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wSJeNZph94

Donna Adelson Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKREcVCO0ynq9o9K6A37cuk

Kouri Richins Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gJYyEMQDM_Cn4icqWBV20fW

Depp v Heard Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gLVeg1x2AInDBfPU6-ffnD0

Last Update - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAF8jCkNKn4

NY Times Sued - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR5ncu7g_Qc

Triller v. h3h3 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gLNJ0I6fzFd8uaqDR_BOEw1

Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Crash Trial - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gIlMUdeLtN4mNQCerfWxONy

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/4wSJeNZph94

Day 33 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 13, 2025. The Defense's closing argument, delivered by Jackson, focused on the lack of collision and the integrity of the investigation. The Prosecution's closing argument, delivered by Hank Brennan, focused on Karen Read's actions and the data.

After lunch, the court read the jury instructions. The court did not include the defense's requested instruction regarding John O'Keefe's hoodie but did include a straight DUI as a lesser included charge.

The jury began deliberations just after 2:39 PM local time and deliberated for a little under two hours before asking to go home for the weekend. They were instructed not to discuss the case with anyone, conduct independent research, or follow news about the case over the weekend. Deliberations will resume on Monday morning.

RESOURCES

Karen Read Retrial Day 32 - https://youtube.com/live/N1az5x1PEkM

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/9W-28UtY1lY

Day 31 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 11, 2025. Neither Karen Read nor Former Trooper Proctor will be called to testify. A charging conference, where jury instructions will be discussed, is scheduled for tomorrow. The Defense is requesting instructions regarding "missing witnesses" and the hoodie, but not a "third-party culprit" instruction.

Dr. Rentschler's testimony focused on the paint transfer test and concluded that the injuries were inconsistent with the Commonwealth's theory, stating that the abrasions on O'Keefe's arm do not correspond to how an arm would interact with the vehicle if struck at a right angle. The Defense effectively used visuals from his Power Point to support Dr. Rentschler's testimony.

During cross-examination, Special Prosecutor, Hank Brennan, largely avoided questions about Dr. Rentschler's testing, instead focusing on his independence and expenses. Rentschler maintained his opinions were unchanged by these factors. Brennan's cross-examination strategy undermined the Commonwealth's position, especially given the high payment to their own experts.

A significant development is that the Commonwealth will not call any rebuttal witnesses once the defense rests, a surprising move given their prior legal battles over testimony. The introduction of X-rays by the defense, which many believed didn't exist due to Dr. Welcher's testimony, may have influenced this decision.

With the evidence phase concluding, the next steps are the charging conference, where jury instructions and lesser-included crimes will be debated, and then closing arguments on Friday. The jury will then deliberate, with the complexity of Count Two (involuntary manslaughter) expected to be a key focus, as it was in the previous trial.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/qgkQm-VgMu0

Day 30 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 10, 2025. Defense Attorney Alan Jackson started the day by coming in hot and accused the Prosecution of "burden shifting," implying they were improperly trying to make the defense prove their case. He provided a transcript that the Prosecution opened the door to ask Dr. Laposata about dog bites when Brennan inquired Dr. Russell about Dr. Laposata's report about dos bites. The Judge Denied questioning about dog bites but okay to question about animal bites. The judge offered to give an instruction about burden shifting to the jury but Jackson declined it.

There was confusion about whether Dr. Wrenchler had seen X-ray evidence, as he testified there were none done to the arm, while Dr. La Pasada's testimony indicated X-rays did exist. This point raises questions about what evidence was provided to Dr. Wrenchler and how rebuttal will go.

During Cross Examination and the Morning Break, Brennan wanted to impeach Dr. Laposata's credibility with past issues from her time as a medical examiner, including an audit and handling of the Station nightclub fire. The court allowed some of this to be brought up during cross-examination but not all.

A juror's question led to the court clarifying what it meant when video evidence was "stricken" during testimony showing that all jurors are paying attention and really want to get the understanding right.

The Defense's last witness, Dr. Andrew Rentschler, a Biomechanical Engineer at ARCCA, testified about how ARCCA was hired by a government agency and was not given information about the case. They were only give the circumstances and to try to recreate it. His analysis of John O'Keefe's injuries were that the injuries were not consistent with being struck by the Lexus, specifically the tail light. He determined that the force required to produce the skull fracture was significantly higher than what could result from impact with the taillight at a speed of 15 mph.

There were several disputes regarding the content of Dr. Rentschler's PowerPoint presentation, with objections to text containing hearsay and ultimate opinions. The court ordered the presentation to be edited, with certain text removed. This will be finalized on Day 31 before the jury comes in.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/_U9Gv2ielto

Day 29 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 9, 2025. On week 8 of the trial, will the jury get the case this week to deliberate?

Special Prosecutor, Hanke Brennan, asks Dr. Wolfe, the Director of Accident Reconstruction at ARCCA, about the appearance of holes on the back of Mr. O'Keefe's hoodie and whether these holes are consistent with road rash or other damage. He asked him if he'd ever consider if Mr. O'Keefe may have fallen or landed on his back. Dr. Wolf stated he did not consider whether Mr. O'Keefe had fallen or landed on his back.

Defense Attorney, Robert Alessi, asked for a Mistrial with Prejudice due to Intentional Misconduct by the prosecution regarding questioning about the hoodie and its damage. The defense argued the prosecution intentionally left out evidence about the holes on the back of the hoodie being clippings from the crime lab. The judge did not grant a mistrial but agreed to instructed the jury to disregard the questions and give a strong admonishment about the prosecution. When it came time to it, the Judge did not give a strong admonishment or admit the pictures into evidence. At the end of the day, the defense said that they will address this the following day.

A Voir Dire of Dr. Laposata was conducted and Judge Cannone ruled she cannot testify that the wounds on John O'Keefe's arm were from a dog, but she will be able to testify about the original opinions about the cause and manner of death. Direct Examination continues on Day 30.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/fyEtt02zOn8

Day 28 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 6, 2025. Karen Read spoke to the media and suggested the case might go to the jury the following week. The judge denied the motion to have police procedure expert Michael Easter testify.

Today we were all day with Dr. Daniel Wolfe, Direct of Accident Reconstruction at ARCCA. He tests conducted using a pressurized air cannon to fire a drinking glass at a car's tail light to simulate damage. ARCCA also purchased an "exemplar vehicle," a 2021 LX 570, to test damage to the tail light. ARCCA conducted tests to rebut Dr. Welcher's testimony. They tested to see if damage from a thrown rocks glass matched the damage to Karen Read's tail light, and compared that to damage from collisions with a test dummy arm and Resource Randy, a full body dummy. Tests were conducted using a crash test dummy with a hoodie similar to John O'Keefe's, and none of the tests damaged the hoodie. The most helpful part of Dr. Wolf's testimony was explaining the inner and outer plastic layers of the tail light, which helped understand the depth of the damage.

RESOURCES

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS