Attorney and Client Spotted in Embrace Outside Boston Steakhouse

In a recent development surrounding the high-profile murder trial of Karen Read, the accused was spotted in an intimate embrace with her attorney, Alan Jackson, outside a renowned Boston steakhouse. The incident occurred last week while the jury was deliberating over the alleged murder of Boston police officer John O’Keefe in 2022. The embrace was captured in an iPhone live photo, which has since garnered attention due to its potential implications.

The 1.5-second clip shows Jackson, a prominent criminal defense attorney from Los Angeles, wrapping his arms around Read. One arm is seen around her midsection, while the other is tightly across her chest. The photo also reveals Read smiling as Jackson, who consistently wore a wedding ring throughout the trial, holds her close. The metadata of the original photo confirms that it was taken in the vicinity of the steakhouse during the jury’s deliberation.

The photographer, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated that he noticed the pair outside the restaurant while having dinner with his wife. He described the scene as “wrong and inappropriate” for an attorney-client relationship and promptly captured the moment. The Smith & Wollensky steakhouse, where the embrace occurred, is located near a North End restaurant where Read and Jackson were previously photographed dining with members of the legal team. Notably, they were wearing the same outfits seen in the embrace photo.

Prior to the embrace, Read was beckoned to join two individuals for a photo. The attire of these individuals, a blue collared shirt and dark shoes on one man, and a rectangular black watch on the other, matched the outfits worn by others in the North End dinner photo. The embrace photo was initially publicized on the X account Masshole Media, managed by Kate Peter, who confirmed that she was one of several individuals who obtained the image. Peter has been vocal in her belief that Read is guilty of Officer O’Keefe’s murder and operates the account as one of several partisan social media pages that emerged during the high-profile investigation.

Officer John O’Keefe was discovered dead in a snowbank in Canton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, in January 2022. Prosecutors alleged that Read struck O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and left him to perish in the cold after a night of heavy drinking. Read enlisted the services of a high-profile legal team, including Alan Jackson, a renowned former LA County prosecutor who has represented notable clients such as Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey. Jackson, who married Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Lisa Kassabian in 2011, argued that the charges against Read were a result of local police attempting to frame her and claimed that O’Keefe died during a confrontation with his fellow officers.

Throughout the trial, Read’s defense garnered significant support, with hundreds of protesters gathering outside the court daily to advocate for her innocence. The months-long trial, which was live-streamed, captivated the Boston area. Jackson’s arguments seemed to sway some members of the jury, as the judge declared a mistrial on Monday due to the jurors’ inability to reach a unanimous verdict. The Norfolk County District Attorney has announced plans to retry the case.