Both sides in Karen Read’s murder retrial appeared in court Thursday for a hearing before they deliver closing arguments to jurors on Friday. The hearing is known as a charge conference, where the parties hash out instructions the jury will receive before they start deliberating. Jurors weren’t present for Thursday’s proceedings.

The Boston-area woman was accused of killing her police officer boyfriend in 2022. The jury was dismissed for the weekend and will resume on Monday.

The two cases boil down to three words for the defense and prosecution. For the prosecution it is Karen Read’s alleged admission at the scene: “I hit him.” For the defense it is

Hundreds of people formed a sea of pink —  the color Read’s defenders have taken up to show their allegiance — around the Norfolk County Supreme Courthouse in Dedham, where some fans held a

Defense attorneys for Karen Read rested their case Wednesday, bringing her retrial for the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend one step closer to its blockbuster conclusion.

For weeks, all appearances were that prosecutors would call witnesses as part of a brief rebuttal case in the Karen Read retrial, giving them the opportunity to get the last word after damaging testimony from expert witnesses for the defense.