BOSTON – A single justice for the highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that Karen Read’s appeal will be heard by the full panel before a decision is made.
Karen Read decision
“I hereby reserve and report this case, without decision, for determination by the Supreme Judicial Court for the Commonwealth,” Justice Elizabeth Dewar wrote in her ruling issued late Thursday.
Justice Dewar had the power to dismiss the appeal entirely or pass it on to the full panel of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. She chose to do the latter, meaning that the full panel will hear arguments from both sides about why two charges Read faces should or should not be dismissed. Legal experts have told WBZ-TV the argument by Read’s attorneys is a novel issue and would require the SJC to make new law in the state.
There is no date on the docket yet for when the full panel will hear Read’s case, but the process could take weeks or months and delay her second trial, which is currently scheduled to begin January 27, 2025 . Read’s team is required to file a brief as a next step in this case by next Wednesday, September 25.