Protesters gathered outside the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office in opposition to prosecutors’ motion to create a “buffer zone” keeping the public and certain clothing away from the courthouse during Karen Read’s murder trial.
An attorney for supporters of Karen Read, a woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in 2022, have filed a motion to fight proposed restrictions on demonstrations during the trial.
We're just two weeks away from the high-profile murder trial against Read, who is accused of hitting Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe with her car in Canton, Massachusetts in 2022, killing him. Her lawyers have alleged that she is being framed amid a massive coverup, which the prosecution has denied.
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The trial is scheduled to begin on April 16.
State prosecutors have filed a motion requesting special restrictions at the trial, ones that would keep demonstrations back at least 500 feet from the courthouse in Dedham. The restrictions would also ban people - and animals - from wearing any attire that suggests a "favorable or unfavorable opinion of either party."
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Though the motion has not yet been approved, supporters of Read have balked at the proposal, calling it a violation of First Amendment rights.
Attorney Marc Randazza filed a motion to intervene on their behalf on Tuesday.
"The Commonwealth seeks to unconstitutionally infringe upon the right of the people to enjoy their full and robust rights under the First Amendment and Art. 16 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, as amended by art. 77 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution," the motion reads.
A Norfolk District Attorney's Office spokesman noted on Monday, in response to a protest surrounding the motion, that the decision to take measures to prevent juror interference lies with judges, and while it's uncommon, it has been used before, including in the "Puppy Doe" animal cruelty case of 2018. Asked about the new motion filed Tuesday, a spokesperson made the same point.
"The Court regularly exercises its authority to provide for the fair administration of justice, including defending the juries from undue influence in a variety of ways. It is at the discretion of the Court," the spokesperson told NBC10 Boston.
There is a special hearing scheduled for April 4 where a judge is set to consider the courthouse restrictions.
