Karen Read Opening Statements Begin Tuesday

By: Steve Atkinson

Opening statements in the Karen Read case are set to begin on Tuesday, with the final juror expected to be selected on Monday. Alan Jackson will deliver the opening statement for the defense, while Hank Brennan will represent the Commonwealth. Recently, Karen Read faced criticism for comments she made to Vanity Fair, where she stated that she would have cheered for O.J. Simpson’s acquittal. If you read her full quote, it provides more context to her statement.

You have to read the entire quote Karen Read said

I felt so strongly about the prosecution and his guilt and the fact that he spent all this money on this dream team of lawyers. They all looked like snake oil salesmen to me,” Read said. Her thinking now, however, has changed a bit: “I’m not saying I believe O.J. was innocent, but I believe that it was not a completely above-board investigation. Now that I am smarter, I would’ve cheered at that acquittal. You have to hold cops accountable.

She didn’t claim that she believed Simpson was innocent; rather, she meant that she would have cheered for a not guilty verdict because of the botched investigation by the police. Her intention was not to suggest that he could get away with murder and so could she. She was discussing the mishandling of the case by the police.

Her word choice was unfortunate, and now it will likely be twisted by the unreliable independent journalist from Rhode Island, who engages in similar tactics as Turtle Boy but doesn’t face charges of witness intimidation.

Furthermore, because the Commonwealth is so weak, Hank Brennan will now use her statements against her. The key difference here is that O.J. Simpson actually committed a crime, whereas Karen Read did not. The text messages from Michael Proctor, the lead investigator, where he uses derogatory language towards her, along with the fact that the homeowner is a Boston cop, indicate that Brian Albert will likely not face any repercussions.

So before jumping to conclusions based on selective quotes from her statements, it’s important to read the entire context.

By Steve Atkinson 

Karen Read is neither a murderer nor comparable to O.J. Simpson. I don’t know much about the Simpson case, and I don’t want to delve into it because, in his situation, he seemed to think that his fame would allow him to escape consequences. In contrast, in the Karen Read case, those covering up the murder of John O’Keeffe and wrongfully accusing Karen Read believe they can evade justice simply because they are police officers. That was the comparison she was making regarding the involvement of the police in both cases.