Alan Jackson joins Karen Read's legal team for civil trial on wrongful death lawsuit
The O'Keefe family filed the civil lawsuit against Read and two Canton bars in August of 2024. They allege that Read drove her Lexus SUV while drunk in January 2022, risking injury or death to her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. They also say that the bars, C.F. McCarthy's and the Waterfall Bar and Grille, are liable for overserving her alcohol.
A civil case has a much lower legal standard than Read's two previous criminal trials.
The family is seeking monetary damages of $50,000 for "conscious pain and suffering, fear of impending death, wrongful death, lost value to next of kin, severe and profound emotional distress manifesting in bodily symptoms, and other compensable damages."
Jackson will join three other attorneys for Read's civil trial - Aaron Davis, Charles Waters, and Damon Seligson.
Jackson defended Read in both of her criminal trials alongside David Yannetti, Bob Alessi, and Elizabeth Little.
Read was accused of hitting and killing O'Keefe after a night of heaving drinking on January 28, 2022. She was found not guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of bodily injury and death on June 18, 2025. The jury found her guilty only of operating under the influence. Read was sentenced to one year of probation.
The civil lawsuit, which was filed in Plymouth District Court, was put on hold for her criminal trial. John's brother, Paul O'Keefe, is the lead plaintiff, but listed with him are O'Keefe's parents and his niece, who was under John's care at the time.
Read's attorney filed to dismiss the lawsuit on July 9, 2025, but the reason behind the filing remains unclear.
There has not been a date set for the civil proceedings to begin. The next hearing in the case is set for September 22.
Read and Jackson are also teaming up to write a book and script about her story, according to several entertainment reports. It's not known if the scripted project will be a film or a television series.
Variety and Deadline reported that the project will give people an inside look at aspects of Read's story that they haven't heard before.
For a full timeline of the Karen Read case, click here.
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