The decision in Karen Learn’s second trial will possible go down as the costliest drunk-driving conviction within the historical past of the Commonwealth.
With Wednesday’s conclusion to the years-long homicide case, the price to taxpayers is starting to return into focus.
When evaluating the primary trial to the second trial, the primary distinction in the case of public cash is Hank Brennan, the legal professional tapped as a particular prosecutor by the Norfolk District Lawyer’s Workplace.
When Brennan was employed, NBC10 Boston reported that he would acquire a fee of $250 per hour to prosecute the case.
State monetary information present Brennan has obtained $234,545 up to now.
Nevertheless, it’s vital to level out that quantity doesn’t embody any of Brennan’s authorized work since February, together with the whole second trial.
The newest bill submitted by Brennan for $28,675 was for work hours in January, in accordance with an NBC10 Boston public information request.
With greater than 50 days spent within the Norfolk Superior Courthouse for the reason that starting of March, together with prep work outdoors of courtroom, a conservative estimate brings Brennan’s pay as much as $400,000.
By comparability, the lead prosecutor within the first trial, Adam Lally, receives an annual wage of $149,000. His boss, Norfolk District Lawyer Michael Morrissey, is the best paid individual within the workplace with a wage of $223,000.
Michael Coyne, NBC10 Boston’s chief authorized analyst, mentioned he expects Brennan’s pay to be even larger as a result of it’s not unusual for attorneys to work 16-hour days throughout a trial for issues like witness preparation, doc evaluate, and analyzing analysis science.
“It’s honest to say the whole compensation might be nicely in extra of $500,000,” Coyne mentioned.
Brennan’s first contract known as for a most payout of $75,000. Nevertheless, that has been amended a number of instances since then. The newest modification was a most quantity of $300,000 in early April, simply because the second trial was getting underway, in accordance with the doc obtained by NBC10 Boston.
Outdoors of the courthouse, there are different big-ticket bills for taxpayers.
Regulation enforcement had a particularly seen presence as they enforced a court-imposed buffer zone and offered safety for the protection, the prosecution, and jurors as they traveled to and from the constructing.
After the primary trial, Massachusetts State Police reported they spent greater than a quarter-million {dollars} tied to staffing. The overwhelming majority of these trooper hours have been clocked in as extra time shifts.
The second trial lasted almost the identical period of time, so it’s possible the price might be in the identical ballpark.
Native police additionally offered assets to maintain the peace. A spokesperson for the City of Dedham mentioned via the top of final week, the police division has spent almost $91,000 on staffing. Dedham police spent greater than $84,000 in final yr’s trial, the spokesperson mentioned.
A lot of the prices tied to the Learn trial are centered across the courthouse in downtown Dedham. Nevertheless, taxpayers in different communities have shouldered the monetary burden as nicely.
The ripple impact was most notably felt in Canton, the place John O’Keefe was discovered within the entrance garden of a house on Fairview Street greater than three years in the past.
As scrutiny of the case elevated, Canton residents voted to approve an unbiased audit of its police division, a report that got here with a virtually $200,000 price ticket.
City leaders launched the findings in early April, simply because the second trial started. Whereas the audit detailed a variety of missteps through the investigation and assortment of proof, it didn’t conclude there was something to counsel a conspiracy or coverup.
Canton residents additionally spent public funds on a personal investigation right into a police detective following misconduct allegations that surfaced throughout testimony within the first trial.
Now {that a} verdict has been reached, different trial prices might be launched. That features how a lot the Commonwealth paid professional witnesses for testing, journey and testimony.
