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Karen Read verdict: What is OUI and will Read go to jail on only charge she is convicted of?
Karen Read was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in her retrial for the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe
Karen Read was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in her retrial for the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, in 2022. The 45-year-old was, however, convicted of operating under the influence of liquor (OUI), a lesser included offense under the manslaughter charge.
What is OUI?
OUI, or Operating Under the Influence, in Massachusetts refers to driving a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs, with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, or while visibly impaired, per Massachusetts General Laws.
In Karen Read's case, the OUI conviction relates to her driving on the night of O’Keefe’s death, with her BAC estimated at 0.09% hours later, though the defense argued she continued drinking after returning home. The jury’s focus on the OUI charge, evident in questions about its timeframe (12:45 a.m. or 5:00 a.m.), suggests they believed she drove under the influence but did not cause O’Keefe’s death.
Will Karen Read Go to Jail?
For a first-time OUI offense in Massachusetts, penalties typically include a fine of $500–$5,000, a license suspension of up to one year, and either up to 2.5 years in jail or probation.
Read was sentenced to one year of probation and the ‘24D program’, an alcohol education course standard for first-time offenders.
Meanwhile, after the verdict was read, cheers could be heard from people standing outside the courtroom. The verdict came nearly a year after a separate jury deadlocked over Read’s involvement in the January 2022 incident.
The state’s case was led by special prosecutor Hank Brennan, who called fewer witnesses than prosecutor Adam Lally, who ran the first trial against Read.
“She was drunk. She hit him and she left him to die,” he said.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson rejected the idea that there was ever a collision at all.
“There is no evidence that John was hit by a car. None. This case should be over right now, done, because there was no collision,” Jackson said during closing arguments.
