Day 36 - June 18, 2025

Judge Beverly J. Cannone · Trial 2 · 3 proceedings · 28 utterances

Day 36 of 36

The jury acquits Karen Read of murder in the second degree and leaving the scene, convicting her only of OUI as a lesser included offense. Judge Cannone sentences her to one year probation.

Full day summary

Day 36 opens with the standard jury poll before deliberations resume. During the lunch break, the jury signals it has reached a verdict, then almost immediately retracts that signal — prompting Judge Cannone to seal the preliminary verdict slip as a court record while emphasizing that no verdict exists until announced in open court. Later in the afternoon, the jury returns a formal verdict: not guilty on count one (murder in the second degree), guilty on the lesser included offense of OUI on count two, and not guilty on count three (leaving the scene after an accident resulting in death). Judge Cannone confirms the verdict with the full jury, advises Read of her right to have the not-guilty records sealed, and — on the prosecution's recommendation of the standard first-offense OUI sentence — sentences Read to one year probation and enrollment in the 24D program. The retrial concludes.

Key Moments

Judge Cannone conducts the morning jury poll and sends jurors back to deliberate with a 4:00 p.m. check-in scheduled.
During the lunch break, the jury knocks indicating a verdict, then knocks again moments later to say it does not have one; Judge Cannone seals the preliminary verdict slip as a court record.
The jury foreman delivers the verdict: not guilty on murder in the second degree (count one) and not guilty on leaving the scene (count three).
The jury convicts Karen Read on the lesser included offense of OUI with a BAC of .08 or greater on count two.
Judge Cannone sentences Read to one year probation and the 24D program on the OUI conviction, ending the retrial.

Notable Quotes

Beverly J. Cannone

“So it's marked for ID with the word jury. All right. So we do not have a verdict because as we all know there is no verdict until it is announced and recorded in open court.”

Establishes the legal framework that governs the unusual mid-deliberation retraction — the sealed slip has no legal effect and the jury's work continues until a verdict is formally announced in open court.

Jury Foreman

“Not guilty.”

The two-word answer that resolves the central question of the retrial: the jury's acquittal of Karen Read on the murder charge.

Beverly J. Cannone

“One year probation on docket number zero zero two. The lesser included offense of operating under the influence. One year probation. The 24D program.”

The court's final words on the merits — a standard first-offense OUI sentence that closes the case.

Procedural

3 utt.

Judge Cannone conducts the standard jury poll before resuming deliberations. She confirms that all jurors refrained from discussing the case, conducted no independent research, and were not exposed to any media coverage since the previous day. Satisfied with their responses, she sends the jury back to deliberate and notes the 4:00 p.m. check-in schedule for counsel.

Procedural

2 utt.

Judge Cannone informs the parties that during the lunch break, the jury knocked to indicate they had reached a verdict. However, before counsel could be assembled, the jury knocked again to say they did not have a verdict. Judge Cannone directed a court officer to have the jury place the verdict slip in a sealed envelope. She then formally sealed it in the legal sense, ordered it preserved as part of the record, and had it marked for identification with the designation "jury" to keep it separate from other exhibits. She emphasized that no verdict exists until it is announced and recorded in open court, and asked all parties to remain in the building for the rest of the day.

Verdict

Verdict and Sentencing

23 utt.

The jury foreman announces the verdict on three counts. On count one (murder in the second degree), the jury finds Karen Read not guilty. On count two, the jury finds her guilty of the lesser included offense of operating under the influence of liquor with a BAC of .08 or greater. On count three (leaving the scene after an accident resulting in death), the jury finds her not guilty. Judge Cannone confirms the verdict with the full jury. She then advises Read of her right to have the not-guilty records sealed by the commissioner of probation, and informs her of the ten-day window to opt out. ADA Brennan recommends one year of probation and enrollment in the 24D program, which Judge Cannone accepts, sentencing Read to one year probation on the OUI conviction.

◀ Day 35 Trial 2