MA State Police announce security measures ahead of Read trial

DEDHAM, Mass. (WLNE) — Massachusetts State Police announced strict security measures ahead of Karen Read’s trial on Tuesday.

Officials shared a court order issued on Monday prohibiting anyone from demonstrating within 200 feet of the courthouse.

Read is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her boyfriend John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer.

Prosecutors allege Read hit O’Keefe with her car outside of a friend’s house in Canton after a night of drinking in January 2022.

O’Keefe was found unresponsive in the snow at the home on Fairview Road the next morning and was pronounced dead at a Brockton hospital.

Read’s defense team was adamant that she was not responsible for the death, asking the judge for time to find the person responsible.

The full court order shared by State Police ahead of Tuesday’s jury selection can be seen below:

“It is, hereby, ordered that no individual may demonstrate in any manner, including carrying signs or placards, within 200 feet of the courthouse complex during trial of this case, unless otherwise ordered by this Court. This complex includes the Norfolk Superior courthouse building and the parking area behind the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds building. Individuals are also prohibited from using audio-enhancing devices while protesting.

“It is further ordered that no individuals will be permitted to wear or exhibit any buttons, photographs, clothing, or insignia, relating to the case pending against the defendant or relating to any trial participant, in the courthouse during the trial. Law enforcement officers who are testifying or are members of the audience are also prohibited from wearing their department-issued uniforms or any police emblems in the courthouse.”