Defense Lawyers, Celebrity Stardom, or a Narcissist In his opening statement, Hank Brennan likely captivated the jury. He told a story of an angry, unstable, alcoholic who clipped John O’Keefe and left him to slowly die of a headwound and hypothermia – just a few yards from a warm living room and a first responder. Brennan was serious, prepared, articulate, and meticulous. And he set the tone for the trial. Last year David Yannetti spun a tale of intrigue in his opening. The heroine … [Read more...]
Karen Read Trial: The Only True Verdict is Guilty
Defense Lawyers Lost All Credibility & Probably the Jury To captivate the jury during his opening statement, David Yannetti spun a tale of intrigue. The plucky, innocent outsider, Karen Read, framed by a cabal of ingenious law enforcement officers, a remorseless suburban mother of four, and shifty paramedics mysteriously aligned with the actual murderers. The “conspirators” are so clever, that no one, not even celebrity lawyer Alan Jackson, can identify the murderer, the murder weapon, how … [Read more...]
Karen Read Trial: Wild Conspiracy Theory is a Dud
Defense Makes Almost No Sense: Except on Social Media The trial of Commonwealth v. Karen Read, unfolding in the Dedham Superior Court, in no way resembles the “coverage” of the trial on Twitter. In the Twitter-verse, the defense lawyers are taking a scalpel to every Commonwealth witness and gouging gaping holes in the prosecution’s case with a hammer claw. In the actual courtroom, the defense is desperately, embarrassingly flailing away at every witness, each one, according to the defense, … [Read more...]
Karen Read Trial: Week One of Testimony
Paramedics Give Prosecution Shot in the Arm During a trial, it can be difficult to assess where you stand with the jurors. Most are stoic. They take their duties seriously. They may lean forward to listen to you or they may sit back in their chairs. These are clues. When they enter the courtroom, following deliberations, to give their verdict, jurors may look at you and your client or they may look away. Only after the verdict is revealed will they show any real emotion. They may cry. They may … [Read more...]
Is Karen Read Being Framed? Doubtful
The lawyers for Karen Read contend that she is the victim of a wide-ranging conspiracy to frame her for the murder of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, who was found unconscious outside the home of Brian Albert, a Sergeant on the Boston Police force, on January 29, 2022. The scope of the “conspiracy” is nearly limitless, including the Albert family, Jennifer McCabe, lead investigator, State Trooper Michael Proctor, First Responders, District Attorney Michael Morrissey, Assistant District Attorney … [Read more...]
Karen Read
Framed or Femme Fatale?
Karen Read of Mansfield has been indicted on charges of Second-degree murder, Manslaughter while Operating a Motor Vehicle, and Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Personal Injury Resulting in Death in connection with the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe, who was found unconscious outside the home of Brian Albert, a Sergeant on the Boston Police force, on January 29, 2022. If convicted of second-degree murder, Ms. Read will be sentenced to life in prison. Defending a person … [Read more...]
Secretary Betsy DeVos: Slowly Remaking Title IX Investigations
In September 2017, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the release of interim guidelines for colleges and universities investigating and adjudicating allegations of campus sexual misconduct under Title IX. The Department of Education simultaneously withdrew Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence dated 4 April 2011, and the Questions and Answers on Title IX Sexual Violence dated 29 April 2014. Secretary DeVos stated that the “interim guidance will help schools as they work to … [Read more...]
The Shooting of Kathryn Steinle
On November 30, 2017, Mexican immigrant Jose Inez Garcia Zarate was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree murder, and assault with a deadly weapon charges in the death of Kathryn Steinle. Ms. Steinle was walking along Pier 14 in Embarcadero, San Francisco with her father and a friend when an undocumented Mexican immigrant Mr. Zarate shot her in the back. Zarate claimed he found the gun wrapped in a t-shirt underneath a bench he was sitting on. He said he was trying to fire and … [Read more...]
Massachusetts House Passes Major Criminal Justice Bill
On November 15, 2017, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed, by an overwhelming margin, a bill that will make major changes in the Massachusetts criminal justice system. This bill is an effort to reduce recidivism, eliminate some mandatory minimum sentences, and toughen punishments for those convicted of dealing fentanyl and carfentanil. With Massachusetts experiencing an unsettling increase in drug overdoses over the past couple years, the legislature decided to tackle these … [Read more...]
Manslaughter Conviction for Texting
On June 16, 2017 the country waited anxiously for the verdict in the case of Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter. Ms. Carter, a teenager, had been indicted in Juvenile Court for involuntary manslaughter in the death of her boyfriend Conrad Roy III. But, Carter did not shoot Roy. Or stab him. Or attack him. Roy committed suicide in a parking lot. Carter was not even present when he took his own life. She was miles away, texting him. On February 6, 2015 Carter moved in the Juvenile Court to dismiss … [Read more...]
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