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Karen Read Deliberation Dynamics: What the Length of Jury Deliberations Reveals About Verdicts

Writer's picture: TGATGA

On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, jury deliberations began in the high-profile murder trial of Karen Read, accused of deliberately ramming her vehicle into her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, and leaving him to die in the snow outside a house party in Canton, Massachusetts. The length of jury deliberation has become a topic of intrigue and speculation in the Read case. The time juries spend deliberating can sometimes offer insights into the complexity and clarity of the case at hand, as well as the confidence of the jury in reaching a verdict. But what does the duration of these deliberations actually tell us about the outcomes?


New England Captivated by a Cause Célèbre

The Karen Read trial has captivated New England driven by accusations from Read's lawyers of a police cover-up, and has sparked a “Free Karen Read” movement among her supporters. Most notably, and perhaps dramatically, a blogger named Aidan Kearney, who calls himself @DoctorTurtleboy, has elevated the profile of Ms. Read's trial from a run of the mill murder prosecution to a cause célèbre that has attracted national attention and the ire of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.


The incident that gave rise to the case occurred in January 2022 after a night of drinking, culminating in O’Keefe being found unresponsive the next morning with severe head injuries and hypothermia. Read, who pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter, was arrested three days later. Read's high profile defense team -- which includes celebrity lawyer Alan Jackson -- argues that O’Keefe was fatally beaten at the house party, and his body was then placed in the snow, pointing to inconsistencies in the injuries and the collection of evidence. According to them, Read was at home at her boyfriend's home -- and logged into his wifi router while O'Keefe's iPhone and Apple Watch recorded significant motion, suggesting he was still alive at that time. They also highlight a Google search from party attendee Jennifer McCabe’s phone querying “hos long to die in cold” before O’Keefe’s body was found, suggesting a cover-up tied to relationships among law enforcement, who were all at the house party in question.


Prosecutors, however, contend that Read, angered by a fight, intentionally struck O’Keefe with her SUV, backed by physical evidence and witness testimony. The case is further complicated by unprofessional and misogynistic texts from Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator, which have been criticized by officials but dismissed by prosecutors as irrelevant to the case's core evidence.


Jury Deliberations and What They Mean (Updated @11:15a, 7-1-24)

As of this post, jurors in the Karen Read case have deliberated for four and a half days, with jurors advising Judge Beverly J. Cannone that they were deadlocked despite an “exhaustive review” of the evidence." The case has lasted several months, featured testimony from over 40 witnesses, and included hundreds of exhibits, something Judge Cannone cited when advising jurors to return to their deliberations and keep trying to reach a unanimous verdict. Judge Cannone has now issued a Tuey Rodriguez charge, a pre-cursor to a hung jury, if the jury is unable to reach a verdict. The Free Karen Read supporters online and dressed in pink outside the Dedham, Massachusetts courthouse where the trial took place predicted a quick not-guilty verdict pointing to the mountains of doubt they believe the defense team was able to present. Some who believe that Karen Read is guilty, meanwhile, predicted a fast guilty verdict. Which begs the question: when jurors deliberate in criminal cases, who wins and why?


Is There a Correlation Between Length of Deliberations and Verdicts?

Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest a nuanced relationship between deliberation times and the verdicts in murder cases. Short deliberations, often lasting only a few hours, typically indicate a clear-cut case with compelling evidence that leads to a unanimous and confident decision, either for conviction or acquittal. These cases usually have strong forensic evidence, credible eyewitness testimony, or a compelling narrative that leaves little room for doubt.


Conversely, longer deliberations, extending over several days or even weeks, often signify a more complex case. These may involve ambiguous evidence, conflicting testimonies, or intricate legal issues that require careful consideration. Prolonged discussions among jurors can lead to either a detailed conviction, where the jury meticulously works through the evidence to reach a unanimous decision, or a hung jury, where they are unable to agree on a verdict despite extensive deliberation.

"In our limited, admittedly non-scientific sampling of cases, the longest jury deliberations -- over five days of deliberation (36 hours or more) resulted in prolonged discussions among jurors leading to conviction, where the jury meticulously worked through the evidence to reach a unanimous decision, or hung juries, where jurors were unable to agree on a verdict despite extensive deliberation."
O.J. Simpson was acquitted after under four hours of deliberations (1995)

But on guilt or innocence, is there a correlation between time of deliberation and case outcome? “You can’t read anything into it in terms of the length of the deliberations other than it’s so intensely stressful for the parties,” according to Ion Meyn, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, who spoke to Dan Hinkel of The New York Times in a 2021 article. Others have opined differently. According to TV host Dan Abrams, in analyzing deliberations in Michael Jackson's doctor's manslaughter trial, "“As time passes, it at least says that these jurors are not just saying ‘Forget about it. This was a nothing case. It should have been thrown out of court.’”

Our own Troca Global analysis of several high profile cases across the United States, shown in the chart below, reveals that guilty verdicts and acquittals can span short and long jury deliberations. However, in our limited, admittedly non-scientific sampling of cases, the longest jury deliberations -- over five days of deliberation (36 hours or more) resulted in prolonged discussions among jurors leading to conviction, where the jury meticulously worked through the evidence to reach a unanimous decision, or hung juries, where jurors were unable to agree on a verdict despite extensive deliberation.

Guilty verdicts and acquittals can span short and long jury deliberations

The 2023 Emmanuel Lopes trial in the table above, which was tried in front of the same judge as the Karen Read case, Superior Court Judge Beverly J. Cannone, saw jurors deliberate for 48 hours, only to be deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial. Lopes was retried in 2024, and jurors deliberated for 32 hours and found him guilty in the murders of Officer Michael Chesna and bystander Vera Adams.


The longest deliberation in US history in a criminal trial -- though not a murder case -- gives Free Karen Reed supporters hope; the jury in the Oakland Riders trial deliberated for 55 days before rendering its not-guilty verdict (partial).


The correlation between deliberation times and verdicts is often based on the existence or absence of clear and concise presentation of evidence, effective jury instructions, and support for jurors as they navigate complex legal landscapes. The lawyers and advisors of Troca Global have experience in helping individuals and companies choose defense counsel in criminal cases. If you find yourself under investigation or indictment and need assistance in choosing or retaining criminal defense counsel, contact us for unbiased advice and to discuss your options. It's an important decision; we're happy to help.

Further Research


Click here for New York Times coverage of the Karen Read case.


Click here for New York Times coverage of jury deliberation times vs. outcomes.


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