The Karen Read retrial has been a rollercoaster of legal maneuvers, fiery courtroom debates, and a jury left to untangle a case so divisive it already deadlocked once. But one of the most contentious battles in this high-stakes drama isn’t about DNA, taillight fragments, or even the credibility of investigators, it’s about a piece of paper. The verdict slip, the document jurors will use to deliver their decision, has become a flashpoint in this case. And the defense is furious about it.
The Verdict Slip That Could Change Everything
Karen Read’s legal team argued that the current verdict slip is biased and confusing, particularly for the second charge: manslaughter while operating under the influence. Unlike the other charges, which have a single “not guilty” option at the top, this one lumps all “not guilty” possibilities into one box while listing multiple “guilty” options beneath it.
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The defense claims this setup visually nudges jurors toward conviction, making it seem like the default path is guilt rather than acquittal. They even pointed to last year’s mistrial, where jurors reportedly struggled with the same issue, as proof that the slip is flawed. But Judge Beverly Cannone shut them down, ruling that the slip complies with Massachusetts law and that jurors should rely on her instructions, not the form’s layout, to guide their decision.
NEW: Defendant’s Motion to Amend Verdict Slip pic.twitter.com/3f2uBWzVs6
— Karen Read Updates (@kreadisinnocent) June 16, 2025
The stakes couldn’t be higher. If convicted, Read faces life in prison for second-degree murder, plus additional time for manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The jury’s confusion, or clarity, could hinge on how they interpret this slip. And with deliberations now underway, every word, every checkbox, matters.
A Trial Built on Two Competing Stories
This case has always been a battle of narratives. On one side, prosecutors paint Karen Read as a jealous, drunk ex-lover who struck her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her Lexus SUV and left him to die in a blizzard. They point to her angry voicemails, her allegedly high blood alcohol level, and the fact that first responders heard her say, “I hit him, I hit him.” The broken taillight fragments found near O’Keefe’s body? Proof, they say, that her car struck him.
But the defense has spun a far darker tale. They argue O’Keefe was beaten inside a house owned by a fellow police officer, bitten by a dog, and then dumped outside to freeze. They’ve accused investigators, especially disgraced Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired after sending vile texts about Read, of tampering with evidence and planting taillight pieces to frame her. Their experts even testified that O’Keefe’s injuries don’t match a car impact, suggesting instead they came from a fistfight or animal attack.
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The jury’s job? To sift through 49 witnesses, forensic reports, and hours of testimony to decide which story holds up. And now, with the verdict slip controversy adding another layer of tension, the question isn’t just what they’ll decide, but how they’ll even communicate that decision.
As the world waits, one thing is clear: No matter the outcome, this case will leave a permanent mark on Massachusetts legal history. And for Karen Read, the difference between freedom and a life behind bars may come down to a single checkbox on a piece of paper.
