Notorious Massachusetts blogger Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney, known for his defense of accused murderer Karen Read, is back in court and could be looking at a return to jail on a new allegation accusing him of breaking the terms of a restraining order.

Kearney, 42, of Holden, was in Dedham Superior Court — across the street from the Norfolk Superior Court where the Read case has been playing out since 2022 — Thursday morning ahead of his 9 a.m. hearing. He is charged with one count of abuse of a prevention order.

Kearney was wearing a green suit in court Thursday and the gallery was packed with his supporters and a handful of detractors.

Special Prosecutor Kenneth Mello, who is recovering from a recent hospital stay, arrived a little after 10 a.m. and had to lean on the desk while presenting his case to the judge, for which he apologized.

The case went into recess after about 10 minutes so the judge could review materials before the lawyers continued their arguments. The hearing is expected to return in the afternoon. The judge said he will hold a dangerousness hearing today if there is probable cause to continue.

While Mello said the police report regarding the incident where Kearney was too “voluminous” to read in full in court, he presented the basic facts: that a woman Kearney was accused of in the same court of committing domestic assault and battery against in late December was in Dedham the same day Kearney appeared for a hearing.

Following that hearing, Mello said, Kearney knew he was within 100 yards of the woman who holds the order against him “and yet he remained there.”

“This new charge before the court is part of an ongoing series,” Mello said, adding that “This defendant never operates with an abundance of caution.”

The assault charge against Kearney was dropped when the case moved to the Superior Court, where the remaining charges consist of intimidating a state witness and illegal recording of their interaction.

The judge said that whether or not this type of thing is ongoing with Kearney or whatever amount of caution he operates under is immaterial to the case at hand. What he wants to know is whether there is probable cause for the case to continue so that Kearney can be arraigned.

Defense attorney Timothy Bradl said “This case has no probable cause. … We’re ready to continue.”

He also held firm against Mello’s request for three days to review Bradl’s motion and evidence, as he said that was just a ploy to get his client back into jail.

This is a developing story.