'Turtleboy' blogger pleads not guilty to 16 new charges
Aidan Kearney, the blogger known as "Turtleboy," pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham to charges contained in a 16-count indictment handed up by a grand jury earlier this week.
The charges include eight counts of intimidation of a witness, five counts of picketing a witness and three counts of conspiracy to intimidate a witness.
The arraignment had originally been scheduled for Dec. 27, but was moved up to accommodate the availability of Kearney's lawyer, Timothy J. Bradl, according to special prosecutor Kenneth S. Mello.
Judge Peter Krupp ordered Kearney released on personal recognizance.
The charges against Kearney, of Holden, stem from his coverage of the murder case against Karen Read, who is accused of striking and killing Boston police officer John O'Keefe with her vehicle outside a home in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022, after a night of drinking.
Kearney has embraced Read's defense that she is a victim of a coverup.
In October, Kearney was arrested on charges of conspiracy and witness intimidation. Prosecutors allege that Kearney has harassed witnesses by accusing them of crimes and publicizing their addresses and phone numbers.
At his District Court arraignment, Kearney was ordered to have no contact with witnesses, either in person or by electronic means.
On Friday, Mello asked Krupp to place additional conditions on Kearney's release, ordering him to refrain from using his online postings to implicitly encourage his audience to pressure witnesses.
"It's clear that Mr. Kearney is encouraging his minions, his followers, in the context of his blogs and YouTubes, et cetera, to continue to harass witnesses," Mello said.
Bradl objected, saying such conditions would constitute prior restraint and violate Kearney's right to free speech.
Krupp declined to craft such an order, questioning whether he had the authority to do so without the agreement of the defense. He said such imposing conditions on release were the purview of the District Court.
A pretrial conference is scheduled Feb. 16, and a pretrial hearing on April 23.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'Turtleboy' Aidan Read pleads not guilty to latest charges
