Karen Read's attorneys appeared in Plymouth County Superior Court on Monday seeking to dismiss emotional distress claims in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of her former boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. The hearing before Judge Daniel O'Shea marked the latest development in the civil proceedings stemming from O'Keefe's 2022 death, which previously resulted in Read's acquittal on murder charges after two highly publicized criminal trials.

Read's legal team, including attorney Damon Seligson, argued that O'Keefe's parents, brother, and niece lack standing to pursue emotional distress damages because they didn't witness O'Keefe's death or see his body until after he had been declared dead at the hospital. "None of the alleged plaintiffs observed the alleged incident that is described in the complaint," Seligson stated in court. "They were not witnesses to the event—they came upon him many hours later."

In a significant development, Read's attorneys revealed plans to file countersuits against multiple parties, including Massachusetts State Police, several individuals who testified against her during the criminal trials, and the Town of Canton and Canton Police Department. The planned defendants include Detective Lt. Brian Tully, Sgt. Yuri Bukhenik, former Trooper Michael Proctor, and others, potentially complicating what legal analysts describe as already complex proceedings.

The O'Keefe family's lawyers maintain that Read caused emotional distress by allegedly fabricating a "conspiracy" narrative about the events leading to O'Keefe's death and launching what they characterize as a "public campaign of disinformation." Attorney Marc Diller, representing the family, told the court that "these are real damages for real people who have suffered long enough." The hearing specifically addressed emotional distress claims while leaving the core wrongful death claim intact, setting the stage for potentially lengthy civil litigation as both sides prepare for additional legal actions.

Families of the 29 victims killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash are escalating their decades-long fight for answers, preparing to deliver a petition with more than 47,000 signatures to Downing Street demanding a public inquiry. The Chinook Justice Campaign has published 110 "critical questions" they want answered about the tragedy that claimed the lives of 25 intelligence experts and four special forces crew members when the aircraft crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on June 2, 1994.

The campaign comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, prompting families to declare they will "see the UK government in court." Among those delivering the petition on Tuesday are brothers Andy and Matt Tobias from Watford, whose father John Tobias was killed in the crash. The petition delivery will be accompanied by an attempt to deliver a letter directly to the Ministry of Defence.

Central to the families' concerns are questions about mission authorization, aircraft selection, and whether those on board were properly warned of risks. The campaign has gained momentum amid revelations that key documents related to the crash have been sealed until 2094—a century after the incident occurred. David Hill, technical expert for the Chinook Justice Campaign, characterized the government's position as "a betrayal by the state of them and their loved ones."

The crash investigation has followed a contentious path over the past three decades. Initial findings blamed pilot error for the tragedy, but this conclusion was overturned in 2011. The continuing secrecy surrounding the incident has drawn criticism from campaigners who argue it "undermines trust not only in the MoD but in the government itself." As families prepare to confront the government directly, the case represents one of Britain's longest-running military accountability battles.