The girlfriend currently on trial for the high-profile murder of her police officer boyfriend in the US was slapped down by a judge for seemingly making a face during a discussion over key documents — as the jury continued to deliberate her fate in the sensational case.
Karen Read, 44, is facing second-degree murder charges for allegedly reversing her car into her boyfriend, Boston official John O’Keefe, and leaving him for dead in the snow during a blizzard following a night of drinking.
But the case has drawn huge attention due to her lawyers’ accusations of a police cover-up, with Ms Read earning a “devoted band of supporters who believe she was framed”, a report by the New York Times states.
Ms Read, a former college professor, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, along with manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving a scene of personal injury and death.
The weeks-long murder trial is now in its final moments, with the jury now entering its third day of deliberations after no verdict was reached Wednesday, the Boston Herald reports.
During the most recent proceedings, a video feed showed a seated Ms Read in court, obscured by defence lawyer Alan Jackson, who was standing as he had been addressing the judge.
Suddenly, Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone stopped and said: “Excuse me. This is funny, Ms. Read?”
The back of her head could be seen shaking back and forth.
The judge responded: “All right, we’re done.”
It wasn’t clear what prompted Judge Cannone to reprimand Ms Read, the New York Post reports.
Mr Jackson was contesting the verdict sheet that the jury must fill out, arguing that the wording would unfairly steer jurors toward a guilty verdict.
But Judge Cannone overruled Mr Jackson’s objection, saying it was the standard verdict sheet in Massachusetts courts for this type of case.
Later, the judge said she reconsidered Mr Jackson’s concern about the verdict sheet and read an additional instruction to the jury to clarify, also sending them a tweaked version of the form.
Ms Read’s case has drawn huge attention in America – as well as globally, including here in Australia – largely due to the defence argument, which suggests she is the victim of a cover-up by Mr O’Keefe’s law enforcement colleagues in to protect another potential suspect.
Ms Read and her boyfriend O’Keefe, 46, had been drinking heavily and bar hopping with friends on the night, the Washington Post reports.
She dropped Mr O’Keefe off at the house of his friend, fellow Boston police officer Brian Albert, for a party in the town of Canton just before 12:30am on January 29.
The prosecution argued during the trial that Ms Read and Mr O’Keefe were in a “rocky romance” and that the pair had argued before she dropped him off.
The prosecution contended that Ms Read hit Mr O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV while making a three-point turn and then drove away, arguing that vehicle data from the car, along with a broken tail-light and hair on the vehicle’s bumper, support this.
The defence argued that Mr O’Keefe was beaten up at the house party and wounded before being thrown outside onto the lawn in a snowstorm and framed to appear as if struck by his girlfriend.
They contend that Mr Albert’s house was never searched for signs of a fight involving Mr O’Keefe, and pointed to conflicts of interest among investigators in the case and those at the party.
The prosecution has denied any police cover-up or conspiracy.
Ms Read is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly mowing down Mr O’Keefe. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison.
She also faces additional charges of manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, which carries a potential penalty of five to 20 years in prison, and leaving a scene of personal injury and death, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. She denies all the charges.
— With the New York Post