In one of the more unusual twists and turns of the Karen Read case, one of her supporters was arraigned on Wednesday, accused of placing rubber ducks on the property of people connected to the high-profile investigation.
Prosecutors have charged 65-year-old Richard Schiffer Junior with witness intimidation, harassment and littering.
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The ducks included messages protesting the Read prosecution. Schiffer says he got the idea about the ducks after Read’s attorney argued in court that Read was framed, saying, “if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck.”
Schiffer’s attorney, Tim Bradl, tells NBC10 Boston that "they're throwing the book at him.”
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Bradl also says that his client has a right to free speech.
“We joke about rubber ducks but this is serious stuff,” he said. “This is the government trying to tamp down our First Amendment rights because they don’t agree with the message.”
NBC10 Legal Analyst Michael Coyne says it comes down to intention.
"The question is were the actions designed to intimidate and harass these witnesses? If in fact they were, then you’ve got a different story, it’s not all covered by the First Amendment," Coyne said.
Schiffer believes there’s been a massive coverup in the Read case.
Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, outside a Canton home during a snowstorm by backing her car into him. Her defense says O’Keefe was beaten up inside the home and left on the front lawn.
As for Schiffer, he pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday to the charges he’s facing. Bradl is filing a motion to dismiss the charges. A hearing is scheduled in one month.
