Karen Read attorney Alan Jackson blasts special prosecutor in new statement

DEDHAM, Mass. — Karen Read attorney Alan Jackson issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday, blasting special prosecutor Hank Brennan over his “egregious breach of prosecutorial ethics” after Read’s acquittal in the 2022 death of John O’Keefe.

Jackson’s critical comments come after Brennan on Monday said that a “campaign of intimidation and abuse” by Read’s camp led the jury in her second trial to find her not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter. She was convicted of drunk driving.

Jackson also fired a shot at “disgraced” Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey for “having no interest” in seeking justice for O’Keefe.

The jury handed down its verdict last Wednesday after deliberating over four days.

Jackson first shared the statement with Boston 25’s Ted Daniel.

Jackson’s full statement is as follows:

<i>“The jury has spoken, but Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan, in an egregious breach of prosecutorial ethics, has tried to publicly shame and discredit that very jury. For him to attempt to supplant his personal views for that of the jury is a desperate attempt to save face in the wake of a unanimous rejection of the prosecution’s case.</i>

<i>The Rules of Professional Conduct are clear: A prosecutor should support the legitimacy of the justice system and promote public confidence in its operations. Openly attacking a jury’s verdict because he disagrees with it undermines that centuries-old edict.</i>

<i>Mr. Brennan claims that his investigation was “thorough.” If that were true, the Commonwealth would have uncovered what we, the defense, uncovered: hidden exculpatory evidence; lies and perjury by the Commonwealth’s own witnesses; cops covering for other cops; a biased and corrupt lead investigator with personal ties to witnesses; and inculpatory and suspicious conduct by myriad witnesses.</i>

<i>The only job of an ethical prosecutor is to seek the truth in a just and fair manner. The Commonwealth fell wildly short of that responsibility. Theirs was not an effort to find justice for John O’Keefe. Rather, it was a personal vendetta against Karen Read by DA Michael Morrissey and his hand-picked prosecutors—and it cost the people of Norfolk County millions</i>

<i>The fact is, Karen Read is factually innocent, and this case never should have gone to trial in the first place. This case is a stark reminder that there has been a complete breakdown in what is supposed to be our justice system. Those in power are more interested in protecting themselves than the citizens that they are sworn to protect.</i>

<i>The Commonwealth’s defamatory public comments ring hollow to the very constituents they are supposed to serve. It is now crystal clear that disgraced DA Michael Morrissey has no interest in actually seeking justice for John O’Keefe by identifying and prosecuting the real killer or killers. The Commonwealth would rather simply condemn the jury and its fair and lawful verdict. </i>

<i>We are thankful for the jury’s commitment to truth and that they found their way to a just verdict. But make no mistake—if DA Michael Morrissey had his way, the truth never would have come out in this case. It would have been lost somewhere in private and deleted conversations that would never have seen the light of day. Corruption like this doesn’t happen in isolation. How many innocent people have been railroaded because of failures in our judicial system? We, as citizens, must demand more of our institutions."</i>

Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally spearheaded the prosecution’s efforts in Read’s first trial, which ended with a hung jury. Brennan, who replaced him in the retrial, said Monday that he is “disappointed” in the verdict and the fact that he couldn’t achieve justice for O’Keefe and his family.

Brennan said that the evidence in the murder case led to “only one person.”

“After an independent and thorough review of all the evidence, I concluded that the evidence led to one person, and only one person. Neither the closed federal investigation nor my independent review led me to identify any other possible suspect or person responsible for the death of John O’Keefe,” Brennan added.

WATCH -- Jackson, Brennan deliver closing arguments:

Brennan continued, “We cannot condone witness abuse, causing participants to worry for their own safety or that of their families. It is my hope that with the verdict, the witnesses and their families will be left alone. The harassment of these innocent victims and family members is deplorable and should never happen again in a case in this Commonwealth.”

Last week, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey issued a four-word statement in response to Read’s verdict: “The jury has spoken.”

Prosecutors said Read hit O’Keefe with her SUV, leaving him to die in a blizzard outside the home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert, at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, following a night of drinking. Her lawyers successfully defended her, painting a sinister picture of police misconduct and theorizing that O’Keefe was, in fact, killed by colleagues, followed by a vast cover-up.

Boston 25 News has reached out to Brennan and Morrissey for comment on Jackson’s statement.

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