Karen Read’s defense team renewed its effort to amend the verdict slip jurors will use to record their decision, but the request was once again denied.

“Respectfully, the present verdict slip is unclear and otherwise confusing,” defense attorneys wrote in the motion.

“This lack of clarity and resultant risk of confusion and error can easily be minimized by tailoring and clarifying the verdict slip to better aid the jury in memorializing its verdict. Indeed, there is no compelling reason not to do so,” the motion continued ahead of offering a version that “presents formatting changes, not substantive changes, to the court’s verdict slip.”

Read, 45, of Mansfield faces charges of second-degree murder, OUI manslaughter and leaving the scene of a death for the Jan. 29, 2022, death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, her boyfriend. Her trial concluded Friday after 31 days of testimony.

Attorney David Yannetti argued in person for a change to the slip on Friday after the jury had begun deliberations.

The motion was vocally reintroduced at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham as deliberation is already underway in the Read trial. There was a delay in processing as the defense submitted an updated version to share with both Judge Beverly J. Cannone and prosecutor Hank Brennan.

Cannone by noon had denied the motion.

“After review, the motion is denied,” she wrote on the document itself. “The verdict slip is consistent with Massachusetts law and is to (be) viewed in conjunction with the jury instructions. A copy of the jury instructions was sent into the jury with the verdict slip on Friday.

Read the motion