Latest news with #acquittal
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Now the murder trial of her boyfriend is over, Karen Read wants her car back
Karen Read, recently acquitted of killing her boyfriend John O'Keefe, is seeking the return of her Lexus SUV and cellphone from prosecutors. Both items were seized by investigators during the murder inquiry and were central to the prosecution's case against her. Prosecutors alleged Read struck O'Keefe with her Lexus, using forensic evidence from the vehicle and digital data to support their theory. Read was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges last month, though she was convicted of a lesser charge of operating under the influence. Her defence team claims they attempted to negotiate the return of the property after her acquittal but received no response, prompting the motion filed in court.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Karen Read was acquitted of murder charges in June. What she's asking the state to return
Following her acquittal on murder and other charges, Karen Read is asking a judge to force prosecutors to return her Lexus SUV and cellphone. Steven C. Boozang, an attorney for Read, filed the motion Monday in Norfolk Superior Court seeking return of the 2021 Lexus LX 570 and her personal cellphone. The Massachusetts State Police have possession of the property, Boozang said. Read, 45, on June 18, was acquitted by a jury of killing her boyfriend, Braintree native and Boston police officer John O'Keefe, by backing into him with her SUV outside a Canton home in January 2022 and leaving him to die in a snowstorm following a night of drinking. The jury found her guilty of operating under the influence. She was sentenced to a year of probation and a class. Read's defense team argued that the police and other parties colluded to frame Read for his murder. Boozang wrote in the filing that Read's lawyers 'attempted to negotiate the return of the listed property with ADA Adam Lally in late June" and they have not heard back from him. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Karen Read is asking for the return of her Lexus SUV and cellphone
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Karen Read wants her Lexus that was at the center of her murder trial back
A month after being acquitted of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, Karen Read is asking a judge to force prosecutors to return two key pieces of evidence from the case: her Lexus SUV and her cellphone. In a motion filed Monday in Norfolk Superior Court, Read's defense team requested the immediate return of her 2021 Lexus LX 570 and personal phone, both of which were seized by investigators during the murder investigation. Read, 45, was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly striking O'Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die outside a friend's house in January 2022. Last month, she was found not guilty on all major charges, including murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene. The jury did, however, convict her on a lesser charge of operating under the influence. In the filing, her defense team attempted to negotiate with Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally for the release of the property in late June, shortly after Read's acquittal, but never received a response, they claimed. They say both items remain in the custody of Massachusetts State Police and should be returned 'immediately.' Read's Lexus played a central role in the prosecution's case, which hinged on the theory that she backed into O'Keefe with the vehicle, shattering a taillight in the process. Throughout the trial, prosecutors focused on forensic evidence, including broken taillight fragments and digital data extracted from the Lexus and O'Keefe's phone. One prosecution expert, Grant Welcher, analyzed time-stamped data from a secure digital card inside the SUV's control module. He testified that Read's Lexus made a three-point turn and then reversed more than 50 feet, just minutes after O'Keefe was dropped off. Welcher claimed the SUV accelerated in reverse at roughly three-quarters throttle. To bolster the theory, Welcher also conducted a reenactment using a similar vehicle. He demonstrated how blue paint from the taillight transferred to his arm, matching the pattern of O'Keefe's injuries. Still, he acknowledged that small changes in a pedestrian's position could significantly alter the outcome. In the end prosecutors also struggled to demonstrate that O'Keefe's injuries were consistent with being struck by a vehicle. They acknowledged not knowing how he was hit, and an accident reconstruction video they produced was panned by the defense since no one knows where he would have been standing. Meanwhile crash reconstruction experts testified for the defense that O'Keefe's injuries were inconsistent with being hit by a large vehicle. Instead, the defense argued, O'Keefe was beaten up at the party. Read's cellphone was also used to gather data and map out her movements the night O'Keefe died. During the trial, the defense questioned friend Jennifer McCabe about her misspelled web search: 'hos long to die in cold.' The defense argued that McCabe searched the words just before 2:30 a.m., but prosecutors said it was after O'Keefe was found at Read's request. McCabe was also asked why she never went in the house after finding the body, suggesting that she already knew they were safe inside. No one from the home came outside as police and paramedics gathered. The defense did not prove that someone else killed O'Keefe, but it was apparently able to create enough reasonable doubt for jurors. With the trial now over, Read's legal team says it's time for her property to be returned.
National Post
2 days ago
- National Post
What to know about Justice Maria Carroccia, the judge who acquitted the five Team Canada players
Last week, in a 91-page judgement following an eight-week trial in London, Ont., Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia found all five defendants — 2018 Team Canada world junior hockey players — not guilty of sexual assault involving one complainant, identified only as E.M. due to a publication ban. Carroccia acquitted Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote after saying the complainant's testimony was not found to be 'either credible or reliable.' Here's what to know about the woman who made that ruling. She used to work as a waitress In the questionnaire Carroccia completed to apply for a federal judicial appointment, she listed under 'non-legal work history' two occupations. From 1980 to 1987, she worked as a part-time pharmacy assistant at Patterson Big V Drug Store, part of a chain that was later taken over by Shoppers Drug Mart. And in roughly the same period (1980 to 1986) she was a part-time waitress at Caboto Club of Windsor. Described on its website as 'Southwestern Ontario's largest and oldest Italian club,' the Giovanni Caboto Club turns 100 this year. Her parents came to Canada from Italy Carroccia is the oldest child of immigrants from Italy. Her parents did not finish grade school, and when they came to Canada her father became a construction worker, and her mother a homemaker. Their first language was not English and, growing up, Carroccia was often their intermediary when dealing with government agencies and English-speaking people. 'While they encouraged me to further my education, financially, they were not always able to assist, so I worked part time jobs as a student to pay for my education,' she said in her judicial application. 'They taught me the value of hard work. We have a close-knit and loving large family. She also noted that, as the mother of two children herself, 'I have developed an ability to balance my professional life with my personal life.' She worked as a defence lawyer before she was a judge Carroccia's legal work history includes 25 years self-employed as a barrister and solicitor practicing in Windsor, with her practice restricted to criminal defence. Prior to that, she worked for five years for Gordner, Klein, Barristers and Solicitors, practicing criminal law; and two years before that at Gignac, Sutts Barristers and Solicitors, in the same capacity. She has a degree in English language and literature Carroccia was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1989 after graduating from the University of Windsor's faculty of law two years earlier. In addition to her law degree, she also holds an English language and literature degree from Windsor, earned in 1984. She was appointed in June of 2020 as a judge to the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario by then Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti. This month, Lametti was named Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney, after helping with Carney's transition into office and as an informal advisor. She once described herself as a lawyer who 'works in the trenches' In her judicial questionnaire, Carroccia noted that most of her time as a lawyer was spent as a sole practitioner. 'I do not work in a large firm,' she said. 'I view myself as a trial lawyer who 'works in the trenches.' My contribution to the law is to represent my clients to the best of my ability, whether they are charged with minor offences or the most serious offences.' She thinks of herself as a plain speaker 'The audience for the decisions of the Superior Court of Justice is the average Canadian citizen,' she once said. 'It is my view that a judge's decision ought to make sense to an ordinary person, not just to lawyers, scholars and other judges. An individual should be able to understand the decision of a judge and the law upon which it is based even if he or she is not well-versed in the law.' Her ruling was criticized but also seen by many as fair and balanced While there was outrage from some quarters at the acquittal, there were also those who praised the verdict and the judge's careful work. Karen Bellehumeur, lawyer for E.M., said as part of her statement after the verdict: 'It's important to understand that this case, the criminal justice system worked the way it's designed to work, to aggressively protect the rights of the accused. It's based on a concept that 10 guilty persons should walk free before one innocent person is wrongly convicted.'
National Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
NHLPA says acquitted hockey players should get to 'return to work' after sex assault verdict
Five former world junior hockey players acquitted in a high-profile sexual assault case will remain ineligible to play in the NHL, according to the league. This move has drawn backlash from the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA), which says the players deserve to return to work. Article content On Thursday, in a London, Ont., courtroom, Justice Maria Carroccia found Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Michael McLeod not guilty, more than seven years after an allegation of group sexual assault emerged involving members of the 2018 Canadian world junior hockey team. Article content Article content Despite the verdict, the players' conduct is still under review, and they are still sidelined according to a statement from the NHL. Article content Article content 'The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,' the league said. 'We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League.' Article content The decision drew criticism from the NHL Players' Association, which argued that the league was ignoring due process and overstepping its authority under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Article content In a statement, the NHLPA said that the players were acquitted of all charges, and that 'after missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work. Article content 'The NHL's declaration that the Players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the Court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.' Article content Article content They added, 'we are addressing this dispute with the League and will have no further comment at this time.' Article content Article content The case first drew major attention in 2022, when Hockey Canada settled a civil case. It resulted in a broader scandal surrounding Hockey Canada, which triggered widespread scrutiny of how sexual violence is handled in sport, the loss of corporate sponsorships, and forced the resignation of top Hockey Canada executives. Article content Since 2022, Hockey Canada has suspended all players involved in the case from sanctioned programming, and those suspensions remain in effect pending the outcome of an internal appeal process. Article content In a lengthy statement, Hockey Canada said it would not comment further due to the ongoing appeal of a previous adjudicative panel decision that had examined whether players breached the organization's code of conduct. Article content 'To ensure that we do not interfere with the integrity of the ongoing appeal … we are not able to comment further at this time,' the statement said.
