Karen Read’s lawyers filed a motion Monday to dismiss two charges in the case, including second-degree murder.
The judge who oversaw the Karen Read case ordered on Monday, a week after declaring a mistrial, that the list of the jurors who took part in the proceeding will be impounded, meaning out of public view.
Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone said in her order that "there is a risk of immediate and irreparable injury should the list be made available to the public at this time," and cited the widespread coverage of the murder case, which has reached far beyond Massachusetts, and ongoing commentary on social media.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
Read the order, which is set to expire in 10 days if it's not extended, below:
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Cannone's order cited a 2015 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in a murder case out of Middlesex County which establishes that who serves on juries in the commonwealth is a matter of public record for "jurors who have been empanelled and rendered a verdict in a criminal case." There are some rare exceptions as well.
Last week, clerks at Norfolk Superior Court told NBC10 Boston that the Karen Read jury list would not be released publicly.
It's unclear whether the list will become public 10 days from Monday.
Watch the Karen Read trial live on nbcboston.com, NECN, NBC Boston streaming platforms (including Roku, Peacock and Samsung TV) and NBC10 Boston's YouTube page. Every night of the trial at 7 p.m., come back for analysis and more.
Email questions to canton.confidential@nbcuni.com.
The order was released hours after Read's legal team moved to dismiss two of the charges against her in the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe — she's accused of second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving a scene of personal injury and death, to which she pleaded not guilty.
Read's legal team said they heard directly from a juror, and indirectly about the thinking of two others, that the panel was ready to find Read not guilty on two of the charges, including murder. It's not immediately clear if that's the case.
The Norfolk District Attorney's Office said Monday it was reviewing the defense team's filing and anticipated responding.
