Three months after a mistrial was declared in the case against Karen Read, we look at all the developments and how they will impact the upcoming retrial.
NBC10 Boston has obtained the contract between the Norfolk District Attorney's Office and the high-profile Boston attorney who's been brought in to lead the prosecution in the Karen Read retrial.
Hank Brennan, who once represented mobster James "Whitey" Bulger, will make $250 per hour as a special assistant district attorney in the case, with a maximum payout of $75,000, according to the contract.
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The contract gives an effective start date of Sept. 10. Brennan's appointment was announced publicly eight days later. The retrial, over the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Office John O'Keefe, is scheduled for Jan. 27.
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In announcing Brennan's appointment, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey called him "a highly respected and skilled former prosecutor and long-time defense attorney with over 25 years of experience in state and federal courts" who has experience with complex cases.
On NBC10 Boston's "Canton Confidential" Thursday, legal analysts Michael Coyne and Katherine Loftus said they thought it was a good move to appoint Brennan, who will bring a fresh, experienced set of eyes to the prosecution, and likely a new approach.
Asked about the details of the contract, Loftus said "it is a little bit on the low end," but not unreasonably low.
"What that indicates to me is that they're likely taking a different tack," with a shorter trial that displays fewer exhibits, Loftus said.
Brennan is set to work with the other assistant district attorneys who've worked on the case, including Adam Lally, who led the prosecution in the first trial.
In his own statement on being tapped for the special prosecutor role, Brennan said, "I assume full responsibility and all obligations for prosecuting this case and will do so meticulously, ethically, and zealously, without compromise," specifying that Read gets a fair trial with "the dignity and fairness that every defendant deserves in our criminal justice system" and that "the facts surrounding John O’Keefe’s death are fully and fairly aired in the courtroom without outside influence."
His statement concluded, "I guarantee that I will work tirelessly with the trial team to prepare this case for trial in January of 2025."
More Karen Read news
Read has been represented by two high-profile attorneys of her own, Los Angeles-based lawyer Alan Jackson and local David Yannetti. They have also been part of the team that appealed to the highest court in Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court, to have two of the three charges brought by the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office dismissed.
"The news that Michael Morrissey has decided to use taxpayer funds to hire an outside lawyer to prosecute this case speaks volumes about his confidence in his own team," Jackson told NBC10 Boston in a statement after Brennan's appointment. "They can bring anyone they want to court. We will beat this unjust prosecution, just like we did the last time. Like we've said to Mr. Morrissey previously, do your worst. We'll see you in court."
