A high-profile attorney hired to lead the prosecution of Karen Read’s second trial in January 2025 will earn $250 an hour up to a total of $75,000, according to a copy of his contract obtained by MassLive.
Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey announced the appointment of Hank Brennan to lead the prosecution of Read, who is accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in September. Brennan, a former Suffolk County prosecutor, is perhaps best known for representing James “Whitey” Bulger.
The contract between Morrissey’s office and Brennan’s firm, Brennan and Associates, will end on June 30, 2025. Brennan’s appointment was announced on Sept. 18, but the contract itself was not finalized until days later, on Sept. 23.
At $250 an hour, Brennan will have to work 300 hours to earn the total $75,000 allotted for his services in the contract.
In a statement announcing his appointment, Brennan said he would prosecute the case against Read “meticulously, ethically, and zealously, without compromise.”
“I have two core obligations,” Brennan said. “The first is to make certain that Karen Read receives a fair trial. Ms. Read will receive the dignity and fairness that every defendant deserves in our criminal justice system. The second is to ensure that the facts surrounding John O’Keefe’s death are fully and fairly aired in the courtroom without outside influence.”
Read’s first trial, on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death, ended in a mistrial in July. Prosecutors say Read intentionally hit O’Keefe with her SUV after a night of heavy drinking as their relationship was falling apart, and left him to die in a snow bank outside a Canton home during a blizzard.
But Read’s attorneys have presented a dramatically different version of events. They contend that Read is the victim of a law enforcement conspiracy and cover-up and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten inside the home.
Former Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley, who was Brennan’s boss before he entered private practice, described him as a “very sharp, very talented” lawyer.
“He brings a lot to the table, there’s no doubt about it,” Conley said in a telephone interview following Brennan’s appointment.
Will Katcher of the MassLive staff contributed to this report.
