3 days ago
Karen Read trial on hold for May 5: Here's what caused the delay
The second trial of Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe, will be delayed until Friday, June 6.
The court was adjourned just before 1 p.m. June 4 after a day that largely focused on testimony from the snowplow driver who passed the yard where O'Keefe's body was found.
Judge Beverly Cannone said that she will give the jury the day off on June 5 because of expected above-normal temperatures and concerns over whether they would be able to hear testimony over fans and air conditioning.
The trial is expected to resume on June 6.
The National Weather Service in Boston said that the heat will peak Thursday, with highs reaching 90 to 95 away from the coast.
The weather is supposed to be slightly cooler Friday, although still expected in the mid to high 80s across southern New England.
The Read trial is taking place in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts.
The building was originally built in 1827 but has since been renovated and altered. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
Courts do temporarily close or have delayed openings because of weather or other emergencies.
In Massachusetts, those closings will be posted as quickly as possible on the Massachusetts Court System homepage.
A couple of studies have looked at whether hotter days can affect how judges rule.
A 2024 study published in the National Library of Medicine using criminal records from Texas found that hotter days resulted in judges dismissing less cases, issuing longer prison sentences and levying higher fines.
A 2019 study published in the American Economic Journal of Applied Economics found that 'a 10°F degree increase in case-day temperature reduces decisions favorable to the applicant by 6.55 percent' in immigration cases.
However, a 2020 study in the IZA Institute of Labor Economics done in response to the 2019 study concluded that the outcomes of criminal court cases are not influenced by fluctuations in temperature, a result they called 'unsurprising but reassuring.'
Contributing: Christopher Cann
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Karen Read trial update: Why it's delayed on May 5
