Karen Read trial update: Read calls for delay in wrongful death trial

There was an update in Karen Read’s trial this week, as she requests that the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of her late Boston police officer boyfriend be postponed until after her criminal trial in which she faces charges in his death.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed last month blames Read for the death of John O’Keefe and accuses her of negligence on the part of bars that served her alcohol despite visible signs of intoxication.

According to the lawsuit, on the night of January 28, 2022, Read served seven drinks at the first bar in approximately 90 minutes. She then took a drink to a second bar, where she was served a shot and a mixed drink within the next hour.

On Wednesday, Read’s attorneys filed a motion to delay her wrongful death trial until after her criminal case is complete. She is accused of hitting O’Keefe with her SUV and abandoning him in a snowstorm in January 2022. Read’s first two-month trial ended in a mistrial in July, but a new trial is scheduled to begin on January 27. She has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

In a motion, Read’s legal team said, “A stay is appropriate here if pursuing this civil action concurrently with the criminal action would prejudice Ms. Read’s Fifth Amendment rights and her ability to vigorously defend herself from criminal prosecution.”

The motion also noted that the requested stay was “minimal and non-detrimental,” citing the fact that the wrongful death lawsuit would likely not be finalized until after August 2027.

An attorney representing John O’Keefe’s brother Paul O’Keefe and other relatives who filed the wrongful death lawsuit is opposing any postponement. The attorney argued that Karen Read’s use of the Fifth Amendment was undermined by her numerous public statements to the media about the case and her involvement in at least one upcoming documentary.

Marc Diller, an attorney for Paul O’Keefe, said: “Ms. Read consistently and voluntarily disregards her Fifth Amendment privilege as she attempts to craft her own narrative and poison the jury for both her criminal and civil cases. “

“Given her open willingness to speak publicly, Ms. Read’s current reliance on her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent appears to be less about avoiding self-incrimination and more about steering the narrative to suit her interests,” Diller added.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Paul O’Keefe in Plymouth Superior Court on behalf of his family and his brother’s estate names Karen Read, the Waterfall Bar & Grill and the bar/restaurant CF McCarthy’s as defendants. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.