Four protesters are suing Judge Beverly Cannone over a “buffer zone” that they say unlawfully keeps them too far away from the courthouse where Karen Read’s retrial on murder and other charges is underway in Massachusetts.

“Cannone has issued this order primarily to quash criticism directed at her, as…the only protests that have been documented have been the Plaintiffs in this case, who have quietly held signs criticizing Cannone,” the lawsuit alleges.

Those plaintiffs are Massachusetts residents Jason Grant, Allyson Taggart, Lisa Peterson and Samantha Lyons. Their lawsuit also names Geoffrey Noble, the state police superintendent, and Michael d’Entremont, the chief of police in Dedham, where the courthouse is located.

In their lawsuit, they are asking a federal court to declare the “buffer zone” an unconstitutional “prior restraint” on free speech and an injunction, plus legal fees.

Karen Read giving John O’Keefe a kiss on the side of his head in an undated photograph. (Courtesy of Karen Read)

Read is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident. She could face up to life in prison if convicted of the top charge.

Read denied the charges, pleaded not guilty and claimed that she is being framed as part of a police cover-up.

Officer John O’Keefe poses for his official headshot. O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Reed, is currently on trial for a second time on murder and other charges after he was found dead outside of a Massachusetts home in January 2022. (Boston Police Department)

Cannone warned potential jurors at the start of jury selection Tuesday not to be influenced by protesters outside.

Critics of Karen Read gather outside the courthouse in Dedham, MA on Friday, June 28, 2024. Read is facing three charges, including second-degree murder of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe in January 2022. (Patriot Pics/Backgrid for Fox News Digital)

“John Adams said that we are a government of laws, not of men, and that the law must be deaf to the clamoring of the public,” she said, referring to the Founding Father with deep Boston roots.

“He meant that while the public opinion about a given subject may ebb and flow, the law must be steady, reliable, and even-handed.”