Karen Read still faces civil lawsuit after being acquitted of murder, manslaughter
Karen Read was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in the death of her boyfriend John O'Keefe, but she was convicted of operating under the influence of alcohol. A civil case filed by O'Keefe's family is still pending.
The O'Keefe family first filed the wrongful death lawsuit last summer after Read's first criminal trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
It's a civil lawsuit, meaning the family is seeking money damages and there is a much lower legal standard than you see in a criminal case like the one that played out in Norfolk Superior Court.
The suit isn't only against Read, but also the two bars she was out drinking at on January 28, 2022, C.F. McCarthy's and the Waterfall Bar and Grille in Canton.
The O'Keefe family claims that the bars are liable for serving Read alcohol that night. They say Read drove her vehicle in a state of intoxication, risking grave injury or death to John O'Keefe.
Read not deposed until after criminal trial
The court had ruled that Karen Read did not have to be deposed or questioned in this case until her criminal trial ended.
The lawsuit, filed in Plymouth Superior Court in Brockton in August 2024, is seeking at least $50,000 in damages. Paul O'Keefe, John's brother, is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against Read and the two bars.
Also listed as plaintiffs are John O'Keefe's parents and his niece, who he was taking care of at the time of his death.
