Karen Read supporters were forced away from courthouse. Where they are taking their fight

The state’s highest court has received an appeal of a justice's ruling in support of a no-protest zone issued by the judge in the Karen Read murder case, WCVB reports.

The case against the 43-year-old Mansfield woman began Tuesday, April 16, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, where jury selection continued Wednesday.

The judge overseeing Read's case, Beverly Cannone, recently issued an order prohibiting demonstrations from occurring within 200 feet of the courthouse complex during the trial.

The buffer zone is 300 feet less than what prosecutors had requested.

Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Serge Georges Jr. denied an original petition to overrule Cannone's decision this past Friday. In his decision, Georges praised Cannone for rejecting the original 500-foot buffer zone proposed by prosecutors in the case.

He described Cannone’s order as "content neutral," according to WCVB.

The appeal of Georges decision was filed with the SJC on Tuesday. Petitioners identified in the appeal docket include the Freedom to Protest Coalition and several individuals. A brief is also expected from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, records show, WCVB reports.

'Free Karen Read' demonstrators a steady presence in Dedham

Read's supporters, who have come together as the “free Karen Read” movement, have routinely demonstrated outside the Norfolk Superior Court building during her pretrial hearings. In addition to holding signs expressing their belief in Read’s innocence, many have worn clothing with messages about the case both inside and outside the courthouse.

Judge Cannone's order also prohibited the use of "audio-enhancing devices," such as megaphones and microphones, and prevents anyone inside the court from wearing buttons, photographs, clothing or insignia relating to the case. Members of law enforcement are banned from wearing their uniforms inside the courtroom under her ruling.

What the response to the initial challenge says

"The buffer zone order is narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, namely, the integrity and fairness of the defendant's trial," Georges wrote. "Demonstrations near the courthouse threaten this interest by exposing witnesses and jurors to intimidation and harassment, undermining their ability to testify or to serve without fear of reprisal. In addition, demonstrations may expose jurors to extraneous material beyond the evidence presented at trial, improperly influencing their decision."

Read's trial more than two years in the making

Read is accused of hitting her boyfriend, Braintree native and Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, 46, with her vehicle outside of a home owned by a fellow Boston police officer in Canton during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022. Prosecutors say Read and O’Keefe had both been drinking that night.

Read and her defense team claim she is the victim of a cover-up. They have put forth a scenario in which O'Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and then left outside to die in the cold. She has pleaded not guilty to charges including second-degree murder.

Judge Cannone has ruled Read's defense team can introduce their theory, with limitations, during the trial but not in opening statements.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Karen Read murder trial buffer zone ruling appealed to state's SJC