The ninth day of jury selection for Karen Read’s second trial got underway Monday morning, with 16 people selected to serve as jurors toward a goal of 18.
In all, 55 potential jurors arrived at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham Monday morning to be questioned to serve in the Read case, according to a WBZ reporter inside the courtroom. Of those 55, 49 said they had seen, heard or talked about Read’s case before arriving for jury duty, and 24 said they had expressed or formed an opinion.
About half of the potential jurors, 28 of the 55, said they had a substantial scheduling hardship that could prevent them from serving, such as being a student or having surgery scheduled during the period the trial is set to take place.
If two more jurors are seated on Monday, opening statements could come this week, kicking off the trial in earnest. Read told reporters last week that opening statements would be on Tuesday.
It took five full days to seat a jury for Read’s first trial.
The goal for jury selection initially was to seat 16 jurors, but the number was hiked to 18 at some point in the process. Only 12 of the eventual 18 will deliberate the case, with the remainder serving as alternates. Deliberating jurors won’t be picked until the final day of the trial.
How jury selection plays out
Each morning of selection begins the same way, with Cannone reading a statement of the case, laying out what prosecutors say Read did: backing her SUV into her then-boyfriend, Boston Police officer John O’Keefe, outside a Canton home after a night of drinking.
She tells jurors that Read is presumed innocent and has no obligation to prove her innocence during the trial.
Cannone also references the intense publicity that has consumed the Read case, saying, “public comment will likely continue,” but “the rule of law will be upheld.”
Read thanks the potential jurors after each lawyer introduces themselves.
Cannone then reads out the entire witness list, which contains 150 names, before beginning questioning. After the group questioning, jurors are left to complete a three-page questionnaire.
Only after all that are jurors questioned individually.
During individual questioning, both sides can strike a juror for any reason. Each side gets 16 strikes. Leaving court Monday, Read said her team had used 10.
Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death in connection with O’Keefe’s death.
Read’s defense claims she is being framed and others are responsible for O’Keefe’s death.