THE household of Karen Learn’s late boyfriend might by no means get justice of their wrongful loss of life lawsuit after a key ruling by the jury in her homicide trial, a authorized professional has revealed.

A jury acquitted Learn, 45, this week of leaving John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, to die in a snowstorm after hitting him together with her automobile.

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Learn has at all times denied killing her boyfriend outdoors a home occasion in 2022 and insisted she was the goal of a police cover-up framing her for O’Keefe’s loss of life.

And after the 36-day homicide trial, a jury dominated that she did not even hit him her automobile – and solely discovered her responsible of drunk driving.

She was sentenced to at least one yr of probation and lessons.

She remains to be being sued by O’Keefe’s household who filed a wrongful loss of life go well with in 2024 however she might wriggle out of it after the jury in her felony trial did not even resolve she hit him.

The civil case has been on maintain pending the result of the trial.

Neama Rahmani, president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Legal professionals, spoke to The U.S. Solar concerning the verdict and Learn’s future authorized drama.

He mentioned, “The decision is nothing lower than an entire and complete vindication for Learn, her supporters, and her protection workforce. 

“One-year probation is nothing, not even a slap on the wrist. 

“I tip my hat to them, however I additionally need to name out the Commonwealth for some of the botched investigations and poorly dealt with prosecutions – twice – within the state’s historical past. 

The costliest OUI/DUI conviction ever.”

Legal professional Neama Rahmani

“There are too many errors to call, however I will begin with the battle of curiosity, mishandled proof, overcharging the case, unprofessional and offensive legislation enforcement witnesses, dishonest professional witnesses, and a failure to grasp and counter the general public relations battle. 

“The prosecution spent hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to safe the costliest OUI/DUI conviction ever.”

The investigation was broadly criticized for being botched because of a failure to deal with the scene as against the law scene, particularly given the involvement of cops on the location the place the sufferer was discovered. 

Whereas coping with heavy snow, investigators used solo cups and plastic baggage as a substitute of correct proof baggage, the jury heard.

The lead investigator, Michael Proctor, additionally confronted accusations of bias because of offensive textual content messages he despatched about Learn.

Rahmani defined, “The jury did not even discover that Learn struck O’Keefe together with her car, simply that she was driving drunk, which Learn admitted to throughout her many interviews. 

“The wrongful loss of life trial has a special, decrease normal, however the O’Keefe household’s civil attorneys have an uphill battle in proving legal responsibility in that case.

“The felony jury unanimously discovered that Learn was driving drunk, however that she didn’t hit O’Keefe.

“The civil jury must come to the exact opposite conclusion. 

“It is doable, however unlikely given the truth that two totally different juries have now discovered that Learn didn’t kill O’Keefe and depart the scene of the accident.”

The O’Keefe household first filed the wrongful loss of life go well with in Plymouth Superior Court docket in Brockton in August 2024 after Learn’s first felony trial led to a mistrial because of a hung jury. 

The go well with is looking for at the least $50,000 in damages for “acutely aware ache and struggling, concern of impending loss of life, wrongful loss of life, misplaced worth to subsequent of kin, extreme and profound emotional misery manifesting in bodily signs, and different compensable damages.”

A decide dominated that Learn would solely be deposed or questioned after her felony trial.

The household can also be suing the 2 bars she was consuming at on the evening he died; C.F. McCarthy’s and the Waterfall Bar and Grille in Canton. 

They imagine the venues are answerable for serving Learn alcohol earlier than she drove her automobile in a state of intoxication, risking grave harm or loss of life to John O’Keefe. 

Los Angeles trial legal professional Tre Lovell instructed The U.S. Solar she nonetheless has to take care of the civil go well with for months to return.

“Within the civil go well with, she will likely be required to testify, which means she has no proper towards self-incrimination comparable to throughout a felony trial, and the burden of proof is far decrease, a preponderance of the proof as a substitute of past cheap doubt,” he mentioned.

“She nonetheless may very well be dealing with publicity to vital financial damages. 

“If there are comparable points that existed in her felony trial pertaining as to whether or not she was intoxicated whereas driving, such may very well be utilized in her civil trial and never must be revisited because of problem preclusion.”

O’Keefe’s household shortly left courtroom after the decision was learn out on Wednesday, and are but to remark.

A longtime good friend of the officer instructed NBC10 Boston that they’re devastated and really feel as if it has been a three-and-a-half-year nightmare.

Protesters outdoors the courthouse wore pink and hugged one another after the decision was learn, as some broke out singing God Bless America.

Learn instructed reporters, “Nobody has fought more durable for justice for John O’Keefe than I’ve. Than I’ve, and my workforce.”

The Massachusetts State Police have damaged their silence following the decision in an announcement launched Thursday morning.

State police Col. Geoffrey Noble mentioned the case has pushed the division to totally evaluation their actions and take concrete steps to ship superior investigative coaching, guarantee applicable oversight, and improve accountability.

“Beneath my path as Colonel, the State Police has, and can proceed to, enhance in these regards,” he mentioned. “Our focus stays on delivering glorious police companies that mirror the worth of professionalism and keep public belief.”

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