Watch the full coverage of the live stream on The Emily D Baker YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/live/agSsaDTCZJc

Day 25 of the Karen Read Retrial happened on June 2, 2025. During week seven of the trial, the defense is currently presenting its case, and they are keeping in mind that the prosecution will have rebuttal witnesses.

Judge Cannone allowed Former Trooper Michael Proctor's texts to be admitted into evidence while being read by his childhood friend, Jonathan Diamandis. When the texts messages began to get really egregious, the witness didn't feel comfortable reading it allowed so Special Prosecutor, Hank Brennan, read them allowed while the witness confirmed what was said. This didn't offer for the truth of the matter but instead, focusing on his state of mind and potential bias in the investigation.

A key witness, Kelly Dever, a former Canton police officer, testified about seeing Chief Burkowitz and Brian Higgins with Karen Reed's SUV for a long time the night of John O'Keefe's death. She later claimed this was a false memory influenced by a timeline. She also mentioned being interviewed by the FBI and being threatened with perjury by the defense team.

Dr. Marie Russell, a dog bite expert, discussed John O'Keefe's injuries to his right arm. Dr. Russell believes the injuries are consistent with a dog attack and not with a motor vehicle accident. The cross-examination of Dr. Russell is ongoing, focusing on her expertise, marketing, and opinions. Cross examination will continue on Day 26!

RESOURCES

Latest Emily Show Episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4hWb8uQjsI

What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS

Emily unpacks the prosecution’s latest moves, including detailed witness testimony from former associates of Sean “Diddy” Combs. These testimonies describe alleged racketeering, coercion, and disturbing claims about Diddy’s influence over law enforcement. Emily explains what the government is trying to prove, how these allegations could support a broader conspiracy charge, and what this means for the future of the case.

Tom Girardi Sentencing - The disgraced former attorney is facing sentencing for stealing from his clients, with a new court date set for June 3rd. Emily walks through what’s at stake, how the court is approaching his health and legal status, and why this case continues to shake the legal industry.

The Chrisley Case and Comeback? After convictions for tax evasion and bank fraud, the Chrisleys received a high-profile pardon from President Trump. Now, they’re reportedly planning a new reality show about their legal journey. Emily explains the legal timeline, the public reaction, and what we might expect from their next chapter—both in court and on-screen.

Karen Read Trial | The Proctor Problem - The episode then shifts back to the Karen Read trial, now in its seventh week. Emily dives deep into the growing controversy around former lead investigator Michael Proctor, whose text messages have raised serious concerns about bias and misconduct. She explains the complex legal arguments about whether those texts can be admitted as evidence, the defense’s surprise move to not call Proctor as a witness (for now), and the strategic risks involved.

RESOURCES Previous Podcast Episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAF8jCkNKn4

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Defense Case Starts and they don't want to call Proctor | Case Brief

Watch the full coverage of the live stream on @TheEmilyDBaker YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/0Coi3nBtXcQ?si=5VFXwAl2xxgxxDpB

Day 24 of the Karen Read retrial focuses on the defense's case and a motion to dismiss. Initially, the motion to dismiss is discussed, highlighting how it is generally denied unless there's a complete lack of evidence. The court typically favors the prosecution's evidence for this motion.

The defense then presents its first witness, a tech expert and accident reconstructionist, who analyzes reports from Burgess and Welchure. The expert discusses the timing of the text stream event (1162-2), the backing event of Karen Read's vehicle, and John O'Keefe's phone time. He simplifies complex slides and presents 30 different timing possibilities between the Lexus text stream time and O'Keefe's phone. He points out that three of these possibilities show the text stream event ending after O'Keefe's phone's last manual button click.

The expert also addresses whether Karen Read's car ever registered a collision in its data, concluding there was no registration of a collision during relevant trigger events. Cross-examination by Brennan explores the expert's reliance on others' data and whether the Lexus ever registered a collision before. It is clarified that the system is geared toward vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, not vehicle-to-pedestrian ones.

Further discussion includes a second chip-off procedure and an SD card found with date and time information, clarifying the timing of key cycles. Brennan’s cross-examination also focuses on a chart of infotainment calls and the expert’s understanding and assumptions about the data. The discussion highlights that the expert agrees the closest points in time to the 11622 event, specifically the three-point turn maneuver, are the most reliable for syncing the clocks.

The day ends with discussion about Michael Proctor's text threads and the defense's attempt to authenticate them without calling Proctor as a witness. The Commonwealth argues Proctor needs to be called for cross-examination. The judge reserves a ruling on this matter.

RESOURCES What You Need to Know About the Retrial - https://youtu.be/89Jpa8vz1RQ

Karen Read Retrial Playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKOJlfL__9F027hlETVU-vo

Karen Read Trial - 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbUyvZas7gKUeCUzApgsEuQRXu5IXeTS