Defense attorney Robert Alessi once again sought a mistrial on Monday, accusing special prosecutor Hank Brennan of “intentional misconduct” during Karen Read’s second murder trial. A previous request had been declined.
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Clad in black gloves and striking his hands on the lectern, Alessi asked for another mistrial during the retrial of Karen Read, who faces murder charges in connection with the death of her ex-boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
The courtroom interaction, spurred by prosecutor Brennan’s questioning about holes in the back of O’Keefe’s sweatshirt created by a state crime lab worker, gained traction among true crime enthusiasts on X. Alessi’s actions won approval from defense lawyers not involved in the trial.
Read’s defense denies the prosecution’s allegation that she killed O’Keefe by backing into him with her Lexus SUV amid a drunken argument and fled the scene. They have maintained that the vehicle never struck him at all, and that something else caused his injuries.
“If I’m Alessi, I’m throwing out those missiles every time,” said Louis Gelormino, a New York City defense lawyer.
Jack Lu, a former Massachusetts judge and now a law professor at Boston College, was more forgiving of the special prosecutor.
“To the aspiring trial lawyer-law student, it shows that even the greatest stumble,” he told Fox News Digital. “What a grueling occupation.”
Dr. Elizabeth Laposata returns to the stand Tuesday for a second day of testimony as the defense nears an end to its case. She testified Monday that O’Keefe’s skull fracture was consistent with a backward fall – but something else, possibly a fist, caused the cut above his right eye.
Read could face up to life in prison if convicted of the top charge of second-degree murder. She is also accused of drunken driving manslaughter and leaving the scene.
