In this episode of “Canton Confidential,” Ronald Estanislao, a juror in Karen Read’s first trial, reveals his thoughts on her claim, now with the Supreme Court, that two charges against her should be dropped because the jury was ready to acquit her. He also shares his thoughts on another former member of the jury joining Read’s defense team for her pending retrial.
Plus, we get the latest on jury selection and demonstrators’ federal lawsuit over the protest buffer zone, and experts weigh in on the Canton police audit and Read’s chances with that Supreme Court appeal.
Jury selection continued for Karen Read's retrial on Friday, but the day ended with the same number of jurors selected.
There were 10, after the court lost one who'd been seated and another was added.
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WATCH HEREThe process had been going faster than many expected — though jury selection on Friday came after the bombshell news broke that Read is appealing her case all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.
This was the next and final step in her appeal after it was denied by a federal appeals court last week. Read’s legal team is hopeful the Supreme Court will agree that her constitutional protection against double jeopardy means two of the three charges against her should be dropped.
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They’re arguing that based on the fact that multiple jurors have come forward since the first trial ended in a mistrial to say they were unanimously in favor of acquitting her on two of the charges before a mistrial was declared.
If the Supreme Court takes the case up, it could put the retrial on hold.
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"They don’t just take anything on these circumstances," said a skeptical Chris Dearborn, a professor at Suffolk Law School. "I have yet to be convinced frankly that the legal arguments that the defense are making will carry the day."
A lawyer for the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office filed a notice with the Supreme Court on Friday saying that all parties being sued by Read are declining to file a response unless the Supreme Court asks for it.
But for now, jury selection continues with 10 jurors already seated in the first three days.
Judge Beverly Cannone is hoping to get at least 16 jurors seated before the trial can begin.
NBC Boston Legal Analyst Michael Coyne says the process seems to be moving faster than anticipated.
“It’s surprising that so many are able to put aside what they know and at least promise the court that they will only resolve the case on the evidence submitted during the second trial," Coyne said.
Meanwhile, there’s a hearing set for this afternoon in federal court concerning the lawsuit filed by some of Karen Read’s supporters over the expanded buffer zone.
