Judge rejects prosecutor's request for access to Karen Read's parents' phone records
- Prosecutors aimed to access cell phone records from Karen Read's parents to support their case ahead of her second trial.
- The motion was denied by Judge Beverly Cannone due to insufficient legal grounds outlined in the supporting affidavit.
- The ruling is part of ongoing proceedings as Read prepares for a second trial set for January 27, 2025.
In Dedham, Massachusetts, a motion filed by prosecutors seeking access to Karen Read's parents' cell phone records was denied by Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone. The court ruling, issued on November 26, 2024, indicated that the prosecutors' affidavit did not meet the legal standards required in Massachusetts, which stipulate that an attorney must specify the relevance of sought documents in detail. Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan, representing the Norfolk County District Attorney's office, aimed to obtain a month's worth of phone records from 2022 to investigate calls made by Read to her parents during the early hours of January 28, 2022, the night her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, died. The prosecution suggested that the timing of these calls could demonstrate Read's consciousness of guilt. Meanwhile, Karen Read's attorney, Elizabeth Little, described the request as intrusive and a mere fishing expedition. The court has yet to make decisions on other motions, including a request from both sides to delay the trial and a separate request for access to unaired footage of news interviews with Karen Read. Read faces serious charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death, all of which she has denied. Following a mistrial due to a hung jury in her first trial, the next trial is scheduled for January 27, 2025.