1 month ago
45
(NewsNation) — The retrial of Karen Read, the Massachusetts pistillate accused of striking her fellow with her car successful 2022, began this week and prosecutors person already utilized media interviews she’s fixed successful the past against her successful court.
Read had fixed aggregate media interviews including to Vanity Fair, “Dateline,” “20/20,” and for the docuseries "A Body successful the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read" wherever she spoke astir her transgression lawsuit aft her archetypal proceedings ended successful a hung assemblage past year.
Special authoritative Hank Brennan played 1 of these interviews during opening statements this week wherever she raises uncertainty astir whether she whitethorn person struck her ex, John O'Keefe.
Brennan has turned implicit to the defence much than 40 video and audio files that helium mightiness amusement the assemblage successful an effort to exposure Read's alleged inconsistencies.
Why is Karen Read facing retrial?
Massachusetts prosecutors are retrying the lawsuit against Read connected April 1 aft her archetypal lawsuit ended successful a mistrial past twelvemonth due to the fact that jurors couldn’t scope an agreement.
Read is accused of sidesplitting her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, by striking him with her conveyance and leaving him for dormant during a snowstorm successful 2022.
She has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter portion operating a conveyance nether the power and leaving the scene.
Are giving media interviews earlier proceedings a bully idea?
These statements volition not bode good for Read, Boston-based defence lawyer Eric Rosen, told NewsNation.
“No substance however truthful you deliberation you are being, prosecutors are going to find a mode to poke holes successful your connection due to the fact that nary one, each azygous time, volition archer the nonstop aforesaid communicative astir what happened,” helium said.
And erstwhile it's retired there, there’s nary coming backmost from it, helium said, adding that these statements tin beryllium utilized arsenic admissions that prosecutors volition effort to usage against a defendant.
For defendants, similar Read, it whitethorn beryllium “tempting” to privation to springiness interviews due to the fact that it feels similar a mode to archer your ain communicative successful your ain words, but “you're not convicted by nationalist opinion, you're convicted by a assemblage truthful wherefore springiness the prosecution other grounds that you don't request to give,” Rosen said.
Plus, your words are astatine the mercy of the media outlet to represent nevertheless they want, helium said.
In a transgression case, it's precise uncommon for a suspect to testify, truthful what you person is simply a authoritative speechmaking oregon posting a person's words, and you person precise small accidental to past support yourself,” helium said.
“There's precise small bully that tin travel retired of it.”
While rare, determination are instances wherever media interviews person travel backmost to haunt radical astatine proceedings oregon different venues.
Sam Bankman-Fried media blitz earlier fraud indictment
FTX Trading laminitis Sam Bankman-Fried spoke to respective media outlets successful the days starring up to his national indictment for defrauding billions from the company’s customers and investors.
Bankman-Fried went connected a what galore called a media apology circuit aft FTX crumbled. He spoke with respective outlets including Twitter Live, Bloomberg and the New York Times wherever helium said “Look, I screwed up.”
At the time, determination was wide conjecture that helium was the taxable of involvement by the Department of Justice.
"I don't deliberation I'll beryllium arrested," helium said during a Twitter Live interrogation conscionable hours earlier helium was arrested.
To nary surprise, galore of these interviews ended up being utilized by prosecutors to amusement inconsistencies successful his grounds and arsenic admissions.
In 1 lawsuit during cross-examination, the authoritative asked astir Bankman-Fried’s engagement with Alameda Research, the hedge money helium owned that was cardinal successful the illness of FTX.
After his answer, she brought up an interrogation helium gave connected Twitter Space astir his engagement successful the hedge money and played the interrogation successful court. It contradicted what helium conscionable testified, damaging his credibility connected the stand.
Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years successful situation successful 2024 for stealing $8 billion.
Robert Durst’s blistery mic infinitesimal leads to execution trial
Convicted murderer and existent property millionaire Robert Durst was taken into custody aft constabulary obtained an apprehension warrant for murder, which came astir successful portion owed to interviews helium gave for the 2015 HBO documentary “The Jinx.”
Durst had been suspected successful the 1982 disappearance of his archetypal wife, Kathleen McCormack; the 2000 execution of his longtime friend, Susan Berman; and the 2001 sidesplitting of neighbour Morris Black.
"The Jinx" had covered the 3 murders and ended with Durst’s blistery mic admittance that helium “killed them all.”
Durst had contacted manager Andrew Jarecki to connection a sit-down interrogation against the proposal of his lawyers.
During 1 of these interrogation sessions, Durst excuses himself to the bath wherever helium mutters, “There it is, you’re caught. What the hellhole did I do? Killed them all, of course.”
That now-infamous admittance made Durst an easier people for prosecutors who arrested him hours earlier the documentary’s past occurrence aired. Material from astir 24 hours' worthy of interviews with Durst were already handed implicit to authorities by the director.
John Lewin, the Los Angeles County lawman territory lawyer who prosecuted the case, utilized Durst’s ain words from “The Jinx” successful his opening statements of the execution trial.
Aside from the bath confession, Durst besides inadvertently got caught successful different incriminating acts during these interviews, including an anonymous enactment written to constabulary astir wherever to find Berman's dormant assemblage that was identical successful handwriting to a missive helium wrote to her a twelvemonth prior.
Durst aboriginal said helium regretted being progressive successful the documentary, describing it arsenic a “very, very, precise large mistake," reported The Washington Post.
Durst was convicted successful 2015 of first-degree execution successful Berman’s killing.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
