The same issue arose at Read’s first trial: multiple jurors, in the wake of Cannone declaring a mistrial, reported to Read’s defense that they agreed to acquit her on two of the three counts, but they didn’t know they could return a partial verdict. That led to a lengthy appeals fight that was appealed to but not taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Those charges never should have been brought forward,” Aidan Kearney said Tuesday outside Norfolk Superior Court, where he was covering jury deliberations in the Karen Read trial.

The jury in the Karen Read trial heard drastically different closing arguments Friday before deliberations began.

Prosecutor Hank Brennan opened his closing argument by saying Read callously decided to leave O’Keefe dying in the snow, fully aware that he was gravely injured. He described that decision as “a choice” to let O’Keefe die. He also said Read was well beyond the legal alcohol limit when she drove at the time.