New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez arrested on murder charge - Trial set to begin January 9, 2015

Aaron Hernandez won't be allowed to watch NFL championship games

Associated Press
Updated Jun 2, 2014 1:56 PM ET

If former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez wants to know the score of Sunday's AFC Championship game, he'll have to hope he overhears it from an officer or a fellow inmate.

''He's not allowed to watch any TV,'' Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told The Associated Press on Friday. ''As far as finding it out, if they hear an officer talking about it they might find out that way. He could probably hear about it if some other inmate were to call home and he were to yell out.''

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/former-new-england-patriots-tight-end-aaron-hernandez-will-not-be-allowed-to-watch-afc-championship-game-011714

Taxpayers may pick up legal tab for cash-strapped Hernandez

Published June 05, 2014  ·  FoxSports



Aaron Hernandez, paid at least $11.2 million during three years with the New England Patriots, is having trouble coming up with the cash to pay his lawyers as he fights murder charges – but he may be able to keep the high-powered barristers and let taxpayers foot the bill.

Those lawyers would be paid at a rate far lower than they presumably are collecting from Hernandez, but the money would come out of the Massachusetts state budget instead of out of the former star player’s bank account. And he would keep his highly regarded attorneys.

~Snipped~

But even if Hernandez can’t come up with the money, there’s a way he can keep Rankin and Sultan – and for taxpayers to cover the charges.

In Massachusetts, the state’s Committee for Public Counsel Services appoints lawyers to represent people who are indigent. Rankin and Sultan are among a small group of attorneys who have been certified to handle murder cases, and so they could be appointed.

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/06/05/taxpayers-may-pick-up-legal-tab-for-cash-strapped-hernandez/

Aaron Hernandez’s lawyers challenge evidence in murder case, trial date tentatively set for October 6

Both Hernandez's mother and the mother of Odin Lloyd, Ursula Ward, were in attendance. Additionally, Hernandez pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening a jail guard and assaulting another inmate.

BY  Kevin Armstrong   /  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS / Monday, June 16, 2014, 1:56 PM



The lawyers for Aaron Hernandez challenge some of the evidence collected following the murder of Odin Lloyd not far from Hernandez’s home last June.

FALL RIVER, Mass. — A tentative trial date has been set for October 6 in the murder case against former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez. Judge Susan Garsh is expected to announce when the official start of the trial and jury selection will begin after a pre-trial conference in July.

"Let's pencil that in," Garsh said.

Both prosecutors and Hernandez's lawyers agreed that October would be agreeable.

"We're asking for a speedy trial," defense attorney James Sultan said. "We want the case moving forward."

Hernandez, 24, was in court Monday morning to observe his defense team's challenges to evidence collected during the homicide investigation following the killing of Odin Lloyd, a Hernandez acquaintance, in the early hours of June 17, 2013. Hernandez's attorneys requested that surveillance video from Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Mass. — a half mile from the murder scene in an industrial park — be excluded. Prosecutors responded by calling the images "powerful" evidence.

No ruling was issued by Garsh.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/hernandez-lawyers-challenge-evidence-murder-case-article-1.1831609#ixzz34q1opMFf

Aaron Hernandez has hospital visit (Video)

Associated Press
Updated: June 22, 2014, 7:39 PM ET

DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was briefly taken from a jail to a hospital this weekend for an undisclosed problem, a Massachusetts sheriff said.

Hernandez was brought to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford Saturday and was back at the Bristol County jail in Dartmouth about an hour later, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson said Sunday.

Hodgson said he can't disclose what happened because of medical privacy laws.

Hernandez, a Bristol, Connecticut, native, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in connection with the killings of two men in Boston in 2012 and the killing of another man found near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.

The hospital visit, first reported by WBZ-TV in Boston, came a day after his attorneys said in a transfer request that Hernandez should be moved to a jail closer to Boston because communication with his attorneys and his personal safety are being compromised.

Read more:

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/11120185/aaron-hernandez-taken-brief-hospital-visit

Aaron Hernandez's lawyers want raw media video from 2013 search

AP | JUN 23, 2014 7:23p ET



Aaron Hernandez's lawyers are challenging evidence seized during a search of his home

BOSTON  — Lawyers representing Aaron Hernandez in his two murder cases are continuing to challenge evidence seized from the former New England Patriots star's home last June.

In a court filing Monday, his lawyers argue that photos and videos appear to show a state trooper didn't actually have a copy of the search warrant and supporting affidavit when entering the home, as he recently testified. The attorneys say another officer appeared to be holding the warrant.

The lawyers are asking a judge to approve a subpoena for news media copies of raw footage of the incident.

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-lawyers-want-raw-media-video-from-2013-search-062314?cmpid=msn:foxsports:ansfox11

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Judge: Aaron Hernandez double murder trial scheduled for May 2015

AP | JUN 24, 2014 6:32a ET



Jared Wickerham / Getty Images North America
Aaron Hernandez was in court Tuesday, where a judge scheduled his Boston murder trial to begin in 2015

BOSTON (AP) -- A judge on Tuesday scheduled a tentative May trial date for former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez in the 2012 drive-by shootings of two men, and his lawyers asked a judge to issue a gag order because of intense media coverage of the murder case.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to killing Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado after a random nightclub encounter in Boston.

During a hearing in Suffolk Superior Court, Hernandez's lawyers asked Judge Jeffrey Locke to issue a gag order prohibiting anyone involved in the case from commenting outside court.

~Snipped~

"I think it's incumbent upon all of us ... to do whatever we can to safeguard Mr. Hernandez's constitutional right to a fair trial and a jury that has not been poisoned by unfairly prejudicial pretrial publicity," Sultan said. He argued that a judge in Bristol County, where Hernandez is charged with killing Lloyd, issued a gag order in that case.

Prosecutors opposed the request. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Haggan called a gag order "unreasonable" and "unwarranted," and said it not the usual practice in Suffolk County.

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-double-murder-trial-scheduled-for-may-2015-062414?cmpid=msn:foxsports:ansfox11

Fast track: Second Hernandez murder case set for trial quicker than first

Kevin Vaughan
FOX Sports
JUN 24, 2014 7:12p ET

BOSTON – Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez waited nearly a year before a trial date was set in one murder he has been charged with – but Tuesday a judge handling a separate case wasted no time, scheduling a date with a jury in a double killing in which the now-notorious athlete has been indicted.

The decision by Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke during a short hearing came roughly six weeks after a grand jury returned multiple indictments alleging Hernandez as the killer of two men on Boston’s South Side on July 16, 2012.

Locke tentatively set May 28 as the start of Hernandez’s trail for the killings of Daniel de Abreu, 29, and Safiro Furtado, 28, as they sat at a stoplight in Boston’s theater district.

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/fast-track-second-hernandez-murder-case-set-for-trial-quicker-than-first-062414

Inside the case against Aaron Hernandez
 
By Susan Candiotti, Laura Dolan, Lorenzo Ferrigno and Michelle Rozsa, CNN

updated 8:44 AM EDT, Tue June 24, 2014



Watch Susan Candiotti's documentary, "Downward Spiral: Inside the Case against Aaron Hernandez," at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday.

(CNN) -- Aaron Hernandez was destined to be a football superstar and was already one of the NFL's most promising tight ends.

But less than a year after signing a $40 million contract extension with the football powerhouse New England Patriots, he was charged with first-degree murder.

Two hours after his arrest on June 26, 2013, the Patriots dropped him from the team.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/24/justice/case-against-aaron-hernandez/index.html

The case against Hernandez: Where's the weapon?

By Susan Candiotti, CNN
June 30, 2014 -- Updated 1154 GMT (1954 HKT)

Editor's note: Watch Susan Candiotti's documentary "Downward Spiral: Inside the Case against Aaron Hernandez" Monday at 9 p.m. and midnight ET.

(CNN) -- If prosecutors plan to argue former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez was the one who fired seven rounds into Odin Lloyd, they won't able to show the alleged murder weapon to make their case.

That's because the .45 caliber gun used to kill Lloyd has never been found.

"That's a hurdle," attorney and sports analyst Michael McCann told CNN.

Prosecutors have charged Hernandez, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz with first-degree murder, however, more than a year since the June 17, 2013, homicide, prosecutors have yet to definitively say who was the alleged trigger man.

All three men have pleaded not guilty.

Read more:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/30/justice/hernandez-case-weapon/index.html

Hernandez's lawyers, Patriots fight over records

AP    JUL 09, 2014 12:36p ET


Former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez enters the courtroom for a hearing in Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Mass., on Wednesday.

FALL RIVER, Mass.   —   The New England Patriots will turn over hundreds of pages of personnel records to lawyers for former tight end Aaron Hernandez but object to producing scouting reports and a psychological assessment, a team lawyer said Wednesday.

Patriots' attorney Andrew Phelan said at a hearing in Fall River Superior Court the team has agreed to produce 317 pages of materials sought by the defense, including medical and training records.

But the team objects to turning over nine pages of scouting reports, which Phelan said contain ''proprietary trade secrets.'' He also said they are irrelevant.

Phelan said the Patriots have offered Hernandez's lawyers the option of reviewing - but not copying - what he described as a 1 1/2 page summary of the psychological assessment. That's all the team has, according to court filings.

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-lawyers-new-england-patriots-in-court-over-records1-070914?cmpid=msn%3Afoxsports%3Aansfox11

----------------------------------------

By Crimesider Staff / CBS/AP / July 9, 2014, 4:28 PM

Aaron Hernandez soon to transfer to Boston prison

BOSTON - Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez, who has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges, will be moved to a new jail in Boston on Wednesday as he awaits trial, reports CBS Boston.

Hernandez was in court Wednesday afternoon in Fall River, Mass., according to the station. The appearance regarded his lawyers' request for a subpoena to compel the New England Patriots to hand over Hernandez's medical and other records.

After the hearing, the ex-Patriot was scheduled to move from the Bristol County House of Correction in North Dartmouth to the Nashua Street Jail in Boston, the station reports. A judge approved the request Monday so that Hernandez could have easier access to his Boston-based attorneys.
Hernandez's attorneys said last month the Patriots' records on their client are potentially relevant to the former NFL player's circumstances and state of mind and are critical to preparations for his murder trial.

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-hernandez-soon-to-transfer-to-boston-prison/

Hernandez transferred to jail in Boston

The Boston Globe

Published on Jul 9, 2014
(Boston Globe) Former New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez appeared in court before being transferred to Nashua Street jail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd318ixRdnM

Pats, Hernandez battle over psychological, scouting reports
 
By Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt, CNN
updated 7:46 AM EDT, Thu July 10, 2014

Fall River, Massachusetts (CNN) -- The New England Patriots are refusing to voluntarily turn over scouting reports and psychological tests to the defense team of former star tight end Aaron Hernandez.

"This is not a fishing expedition," Patriots attorney Andrew Phelan told a Massachusetts Superior Court judge during a hearing Wednesday.

The Patriots cut Hernandez loose on June 26, 2013, the same day he was arrested in the slaying of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. He has pleaded not guilty to murder in the Lloyd killing and those of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in 2012.

Hernandez' defense team wants a judge to issue a subpoena to be served on the three-time Super Bowl championship team.

"We never thought the Pats would refuse our request," Hernandez co-counsel Michael Fee told the judge.

~Snipped~

"Any record bearing on a defendant's psychological function, illnesses or afflictions, addiction, cognitive ability, social interactions, behavior under stress, relationship with authority and other such factors are undeniably relevant to the defense of an individual charged with First Degree Murder," Fee wrote in a motion.

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/09/justice/aaron-hernandez-test-records/index.html

By Crimesider Staff / AP / July 15, 2014, 10:03 AM

Judge denies bid to suppress evidence in Aaron Hernandez case

FALL RIVER, Mass. - A Massachusetts judge on Monday rejected a bid by lawyers for former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez to suppress evidence from a cellphone and video surveillance footage taken from his home during an investigation into the killing of a friend.

~Snipped~

In denying the request, Judge E. Susan Garsh said in a written ruling that police had a reasonable basis to infer that Hernandez's home surveillance system "likely captured the images of whoever entered, left and returned to Hernandez's house in the hours immediately before and after the shooting" of Lloyd. "Thus, the (search warrant) affidavit created probably cause for the magistrate to believe that a search of Hernandez's residence for the home surveillance video would produce evidence that would aid in the apprehension or conviction of Lloyd's killer," the judge wrote.

Hernandez's lawyers argued that the search warrant was overly broad because it allowed police to seize video footage of the inside of Hernandez's home. But the judge found there had been "no showing that the scope of the warrant was impermissibly broadened."

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-denies-bid-to-suppress-evidence-in-aaron-hernandez-case/

DA: There is direct evidence Hernandez's fiancee lied to grand jury

AP | JUL 16, 2014 1:01p ET

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) Prosecutors have spelled out what they say is evidence that the fiancee of former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez lied to the grand jury that indicted him on a murder charge, including comments she made about a box she discarded at Hernandez's direction.

In a filing Tuesday in Fall River Superior Court, the prosecution listed more than a dozen instances in which it says it has evidence contradicting Shayanna Jenkins' testimony to the grand jury investigating the 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd.

Jenkins has pleaded not guilty to perjury. Defense attorney Janice Bassil has moved to dismiss the charge. A message left Wednesday for Bassil seeking comment wasn't immediately returned.

A judge had ordered the additional information turned over following defense complaints.

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/da-claims-evidence-of-aaron-hernandez-fiancee-shayanna-jenkins-perjury-071614

Hernandez's lawyers support moving back trial date

Kevin Vaughan | JUL 16, 2014 5:37p ET
FOX Sports

Attorneys for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Wednesday filed papers supporting a three-month delay in the beginning of his first murder trial.

~Snipped~

Judge E. Susan Garsh had earlier contemplated beginning the trial shortly after the first of the year but asked prosecutors and Hernandez’s lawyers to file memos outlining their positions before she made a decision.

“Hernandez has a constitutional right to a speedy trial and, as previously stated, he wants his trial to proceed as soon as possible,” attorneys Michael Fee, James Sultan and Charles Rankin wrote in the four-page filing. “His preferred trial date remains Oct. 6, 2014.

“However,” the attorneys wrote, “a considerable amount of defense pretrial preparations remains to be done, and defense counsel cannot guarantee at this juncture that it will all be completed by that date.”

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-s-lawyers-support-moving-back-trial-date-071614

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Aaron Hernandez lawyers approve January date for Odin Lloyd trial

Thursday, July 17, 2014
By: O’Ryan Johnson

Lawyers for Aaron Hernandez have agreed to a potential January trial in the Odin L. Lloyd murder case, according to a court document filed yesterday.

While the trial had initially been set for Oct. 6 in Bristol County Superior Court, lawyers for the former New England Patriots tight end said they would not object to a Jan. 5, 2015, date. With the new date, the jury commissioner could begin sending notices to prospective jurors in Bristol County as soon as November, according to the documents.

In a separate court filing, Hernandez’s legal team argued that evidence taken from three cellphones seized at his home should be thrown out. Hernandez’s lawyers said cops were given permission to take a specific cellphone and instead took three when they executed the search.

Read more:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/07/aaron_hernandez_lawyers_approve_january_date_for_odin_lloyd

Patriots say Hernandez, Belichick exchanged 34 texts

By Dan Adams  | Globe Correspondent   July 19, 2014

Only days after prosecutors released court papers documenting evidence against former NFL player Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots on Friday sought to clarify some of the information concerning the team and the man accused of killing three people.

The papers released by Bristol prosecutors on Monday said authorities had 33 pages of text messages between Hernandez and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
 
But on Friday the team disputed that, saying Belichick and Hernandez exchanged 34 total messages, not 33 pages, of messages.

“Earlier this week, a report indicated that an exchange of text messages between the team’s head coach and Mr. Hernandez totaled 33 pages,” a lawyer for the team, Andrew Phelan, wrote in a statement. “While it is unknown how the texts were printed or displayed, I thought it was important to clarify that during an early investigation conducted by state prosecutors, the team produced a total of 34 text messages, not pages of texts.”

Read more:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/07/18/patriots-say-hernandez-belichick-exchanged-texts-not-pages/6v8kP8t6t2fJdLHaJqqaPL/story.html

Aaron Hernandez attorney says dispute over records from New England Patriots resolved

Published July 22, 2014  ·  Associated Press

FALL RIVER, Mass. –  A dispute over team records that lawyers for Aaron Hernandez had sought from the New England Patriots has been resolved, the defense said Tuesday, though it's unclear whether the documents were turned over.

Hernandez attorney Michael Fee said during a morning hearing in Fall River Superior Court that the matter has been resolved. That prompted the cancellation of a separate hearing before a different judge that was scheduled for the afternoon.

Defense attorneys declined to comment outside court. The Patriots' attorney, Andrew Phelan, referred questions to team spokeswoman Stacey James, who said the team had no comment.

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/07/22/aaron-hernandez-attorney-says-dispute-over-records-from-new-england-patriots/

Hernandez fiancee to ask judge to drop perjury charges

AP | AUG 22, 2014 3:01a ET

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- The fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is set to ask a judge to throw out allegations that she lied to a grand jury.

Shayanna Jenkins is scheduled to appear before a Fall River Superior Court judge on Friday to seek dismissal of perjury charges against her. Prosecutors say she lied to a grand jury nearly 30 times during the investigation into the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating her sister.

~Snipped~

Jenkins' lawyers have argued in court papers that prosecutors set out to deliberately charge her with perjury, and that they failed to provide sufficient evidence to the grand jury.

Read more:

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-fiancee-shayanna-jenkins-to-seek-dismissal-of-perjury-charges--082214

Aaron Hernandez felt 'helpless' as police searched his home

Kevin Vaughan
FOX Sports
SEP 16, 2014 1:38p ET

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez contends in a new court filing that he felt “helpless” and worried for his fiancée and young daughter during a 2013 police search of his mansion — statements he made as part of a flurry of motions aimed at undercutting one of the murder cases he’s facing.

In the sworn statement filed by Hernandez’s legal team he describes being surrounded by officers carrying weapons as they searched his home the day after the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who was gunned down less than a mile from the player’s home in North Attleboro, Mass.

“I felt helpless in the face of the occupation of my house by the police,” Hernandez said in the statement. “I was also very concerned about what would happen to my fiancée and our baby if I refused to answer their questions. I did not feel free to leave at any time during the search.”

Read more:

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-felt-helpless-as-police-searched-his-home-091614

Alessandra_Deux wrote:Aaron Hernandez won't be allowed to watch NFL championship games

Associated Press
Updated Jun 2, 2014 1:56 PM ET

If former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez wants to know the score of Sunday's AFC Championship game, he'll have to hope he overhears it from an officer or a fellow inmate.

''He's not allowed to watch any TV,'' Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told The Associated Press on Friday. ''As far as finding it out, if they hear an officer talking about it they might find out that way. He could probably hear about it if some other inmate were to call home and he were to yell out.''

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/former-new-england-patriots-tight-end-aaron-hernandez-will-not-be-allowed-to-watch-afc-championship-game-011714

Can't believe the riduclousness of this. (I know that is not a word.)
This is like finding your child broke out all the windows in the car and you tell him he has to ... stand in the corner and not watch his favorite Barney show.

Jurors in Aaron Hernandez murder trial won't hear gun, ammo evidence

Published September 25, 2014 · FoxNews.com

Prosecutors reportedly ended their fight Wednesday over some firearms evidence in the murder case against former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, a development that comes less than a week before a judge was set to determine its admissibility in court.

The decision, outlined in several court filings, means jurors won’t hear that detectives found four boxes of .45-caliber ammunition in an apartment rented by Hernandez in Franklin, Mass. Jurors also will not hear that detectives found a loaded magazine for a .45-caliber Glock pistol in a Hummer registered to the former NFL standout, FOX Sports reports.

The development could be significant when Hernandez’s trial begins on Jan. 9 for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who was fatally shot less than a mile from the former Patriot’s home in North Attleboro. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée.

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/25/jurors-in-hernandez-murder-trial-wont-hear-some-firearms-evidence/

--------------------------------

Judge to Hear Arguments in Aaron Hernandez Case

Monday, Sep 29, 2014 • Updated at 7:49 AM EDT

A judge in Fall River Superior Court in Massachusetts is expected to hear arguments tomorrow on a motion Aaron Hernandez’s lawyers filed to suppress evidence in his murder trial.

The Bristol, Connecticut native and former New England Patriots player is awaiting trial in the 2013 killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend.

Read more:

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Judge-to-Hear-Arguments-in-Aaron-Hernandez-Case--277420371.html

Freckles wrote:

Alessandra_Deux wrote:Aaron Hernandez won't be allowed to watch NFL championship games

Associated Press
Updated Jun 2, 2014 1:56 PM ET

If former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez wants to know the score of Sunday's AFC Championship game, he'll have to hope he overhears it from an officer or a fellow inmate.

''He's not allowed to watch any TV,'' Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told The Associated Press on Friday. ''As far as finding it out, if they hear an officer talking about it they might find out that way. He could probably hear about it if some other inmate were to call home and he were to yell out.''

Read more:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/former-new-england-patriots-tight-end-aaron-hernandez-will-not-be-allowed-to-watch-afc-championship-game-011714

Can't believe the riduclousness of this. (I know that is not a word.)
This is like finding your child broke out all the windows in the car and you tell him he has to ... stand in the corner and not watch his favorite Barney show.

I agree. It is utterly ridiculous.

By Crimesider Staff  / AP /  October 3, 2014, 12:28 PM

Judge orders bullets in Aaron Hernandez case thrown out

FALL RIVER, Mass. - Bullets found in an apartment rented by ex-New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez and an ammunition magazine found in his Hummer were thrown out as evidence in his murder case Thursday by a judge who said state police didn't demonstrate probable cause for the searches.

Judge E. Susan Garsh said there were "absolutely no facts" linking Hernandez "in any way at all to the crime under investigation" in an affidavit supporting the warrant application to search his Franklin, Mass. apartment. That warrant was for a cellphone belonging to co-defendant Carlos Ortiz, who was with Hernandez when Odin Lloyd was killed.

~Snipped~

Police applied for additional warrants after that first search, including one to look for ammunition. But the judge ruled that evidence gathered during the subsequent searches had to be thrown out because authorities hadn't demonstrated probable cause for the first one.

Authorities have said they never recovered the weapon used in Lloyd's killing but believe it was a .45-caliber pistol. The items tossed out Thursday include .45-caliber bullets and a .45-caliber magazine.

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-orders-bullets-in-aaron-hernandez-case-thrown-out/

Aaron Hernandez pre-trial on Nov. 25

Updated: October 21, 2014, 4:13 PM ET

Associated Press

BOSTON -- Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez remains on track for a May trial on two murder charges.

His lawyers and prosecutors agreed Tuesday to another pre-trial hearing on Nov. 25 during a brief court appearance in Suffolk Superior Court.

The lawyers largely talked privately with Judge Jeffrey Locke at the bench, out of hearing range from the courtroom audience.

Hernandez, who did not attend the hearing, is charged in the 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.

Prosecutors say Hernandez shot the two men after one of them accidentally spilled a drink on him in a Boston nightclub.

Read more:

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/11739904/aaron-hernandez-track-double-murder-trial-following-november-pre-trial

Aaron Hernandez Murder Case Update: Boston Double Murder Pre Trial Hearing Set, Trial Set For Spring 2015

By Raimundo Ortiz
on Oct 22, 2014 03:36 PM EDT

Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez is set to stand trial for orchestrating the murder of associate Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semipro football player who had been dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. Hernandez's issues don't end there, though, even if he beats that rap.

A pretrial hearing has been set for November 25 for the murders of Daniel De Abreu and Safiro Furtado, two men whom Hernandez is accused of gunning down in a drive by shooting after an altercation in a night club. That trial is slated to begin in May 2015.

Read more:

http://www.sportsworldnews.com/articles/19811/20141022/aaron-hernandez-murder-case-update-boston-double-murder-pre-trial-hearing-set-trial-set-for-spring-2015.htm#ixzz3HOsuBpDT

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/justice/aaron-hernandez-hearing/index.html?c=justice

Nene_Please wrote:http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/justice/aaron-hernandez-hearing/index.html?c=justice

I am on my phone so I do not know how to copy part of the story to here. What this is reference to is they thru out the text message from the victim to his sister which is a big blow to the prosecution.

Nene_Please wrote:http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/justice/aaron-hernandez-hearing/index.html?c=justice

"....(CNN) -- A judge in the murder trial of former NFL star Aaron Hernandez handed his defense pretrial legal victories Friday, throwing out as evidence text messages sent by the homicide victim the night he died and ruling that prosecutors may not tell jurors about two other slayings allegedly committed by the former New England Patriot.

Hernandez, wearing a dark suit, sat with his lawyers during the Massachusetts hearing, at times smiling and scribbling notes to his defense team. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh ruled that prosecutors may not introduce the texts that murder victim Odin Lloyd sent his sister shortly before his death.

In the texts, Lloyd said that he was with Hernandez, whose trial is scheduled to start next month. Lloyd was dating a sister of Hernandez's fiancee....."

Who is who in this case?

Odin Lloyd

Odin Lloyd was a 27-year-old semi-pro football player. He was found dead on June 17, 2013, less than a mile from Hernandez's home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. He had been shot seven times. Lloyd met Hernandez while dating Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Hernandez's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins. Hernandez is charged with orchestrating Lloyd's execution.

Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado

Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado were killed outside a Boston nightclub on July 16, 2012. Prosecutors say de Abreu accidentally bumped into Hernandez, spilling a drink. Later that night, Hernandez was driving an SUV and allegedly pulled up alongside de Abreu and Furtado's car near the nightclub and fired a .38-caliber revolver at them.

Alexander Bradley

Alexander Bradley is a former friend of Hernandez who was allegedly with Hernandez on the night de Abreu and Furtado were killed. He is not facing any charges in that case, but he is jailed on unrelated charges. He is suing Hernandez for allegedly shooting him in the face in February 2013. Bradley claims Hernandez accused him of "disrespecting him" over a cell phone left in a Miami strip club.
Carlos Ortiz was also charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd and has pleaded not guilty.
Carlos Ortiz was also charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd and has pleaded not guilty.

Carlos Ortiz

Carlos Ortiz, nicknamed Charlie Boy, is also charged with murder in the death Odin Lloyd and has pleaded not guilty. A law enforcement source said he cooperated with police and described the night of Lloyd's death.

Ernest Wallace

Ernest Wallace, nicknamed Hobo, is also charged with murder in the death of Odin Lloyd. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors call him the "muscle man" for Hernandez. They say he was in the car with Hernandez, Lloyd and Carlos Ortiz an hour before the car is seen on video heading to the industrial park where Lloyd was killed.
Aaron Hernandez's fiancée investigated

Shayanna Jenkins

Shayanna Jenkins is Hernandez's fiancee and the mother of his daughter. She is charged with perjury, allegedly lying to a grand jury about guns in their home. She has pleaded not guilty. Her sister, Shaneah, was dating Odin Lloyd at the time of his death.

Shaneah Jenkins

Shaneah Jenkins is the girlfriend of Odin Lloyd. Her sister is Hernandez's fiancée. In court, the two sisters sit on opposite sides, Shayanna with the defense and Shaneah with the prosecution.

Tanya Cummings-Singleton

Tanya Cummings-Singleton is a cousin of Hernandez. In her garage, police found the SUV allegedly driven by Hernandez and linked to the 2012 Boston double homicide. She was twice charged with contempt of court for refusing to testify before two grand juries despite immunity offers. She has pleaded guilty to obstruction in the Lloyd case. She is also suffering from cancer.

Thaddeus Singleton
Photos: Athletes charged with murder Photos: Athletes charged with murder

Thaddeus Singleton, husband of Tanya Cummings-Singleton, was killed in a car accident after Lloyd's slaying. Police say his speeding car went airborne and crashed. A source says police planned to interview him about his relationship with Hernandez.

Shaquilla Thibou

Shaquilla Thibou is the sister of Odin Lloyd. Prosecutors say she saw her brother get into a car with Hernandez, Wallace and Ortiz before he was killed. Prosecutors say she received a text from her brother that night telling her he was with "Nfl," adding, "just so u know."

Terri Hernandez

Terri Hernandez is Aaron Hernandez's mother. She is a school secretary.

Dennis Hernandez

Dennis Hernandez was Aaron Hernandez's father. He had a close relationship with his sons and was deeply involved in their sports training. He died unexpectedly after hernia surgery when Hernandez was 16.

DJ Hernandez

DJ Hernandez is Aaron Hernandez's older brother. He was a star high school athlete. He also was a standout athlete at the University of Connecticut and now is an assistant coach at the University of Iowa.

Andrew Booker

Andrew Booker shared a jail unit with Aaron Hernandez. The two allegedly got into a jail fight, and Hernandez was indicted in Booker's assault.
Hernandez prosecutor welcomes pressure

The prosecution

District Attorney Samuel Sutter is leading the prosecution against Hernandez, along with William McCauley and Patrick Bomberg. "Probably my career ... will be defined more by this case than all of the other things we've done," Sutter told CNN.

The defense

Attorneys James Sultan, Michael Fee and Charles Rankin are handling Hernandez's defense. Rankin says "not one shred of evidence has been presented yet." He said he is confident Hernandez will be exonerated.




http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/30/justice/aaron-hernandez-case/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

2012 killings in Hernandez case out

Updated: December 12, 2014, 2:09 PM ET
Associated Press

Video: Odin Lloyd Text Messages Tossed
ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson discusses the judge's ruling that Odin Lloyd's final text messages cannot be used in the prosecution of Aaron Hernandez.


Jury selection in the murder trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez for the killing of Odin Lloyd is scheduled to begin Jan. 9

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Prosecutors in a murder case against Aaron Hernandez won't be allowed to tell a jury about two other killings with which the ex-New England Patriot is charged or the final text messages the victim sent to his sister, a judge ruled Friday.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder in the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. He has also pleaded not guilty to the fatal shootings of two men in 2012 after an encounter at a Boston nightclub.

Prosecutors have said Hernandez may have showed Lloyd the spot where the double shooting allegedly took place, and suggested that was a possible motive for killing Lloyd.

~Snipped~

But Judge E. Susan Garsh, after hearing arguments, said the prosecution's theory is "clearly in the realm of speculation" and "does not comport with common sense." She said there was no demonstrated link between the two crimes and disallowed the introduction of the 2012 homicides.

Read more:

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/12019208/judge-rules-2012-killings-inadmissible-aaron-hernandez-case

Jury selection in the murder trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez for the killing of Odin Lloyd is scheduled to begin Jan. 9

(from above link)

More about the December 12 judge's ruling here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2871107/Ex-Patriot-Aaron-Hernandez-court.html

@Nene_Please and Freckles:

Many thanks to both of you for the updates and information ...

Alessandra_Deux wrote:@Nene_Please and Freckles:

Many thanks to both of you for the updates and information ...

Aaron Hernandez team fears ‘stealth jurors’

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

By: Laurel J. Sweet

New England Patriots and all other NFL clothing and fan paraphernalia will be banned from the Fall River courtroom where the AFC East champs’ former superstar Aaron Hernandez goes on trial next month for the murder of Odin L. Lloyd, the judge ruled yesterday.

Judge E. Susan Garsh has set aside Jan. 9, 12 and 13 for prospective jurors to fill out questionnaires that will officially commence the screening process toward seating a jury — a likely laborious process that already has Hernandez’s defense team on edge.

Claiming that “stealth jurors” may try to infiltrate the panel, the lawyers are demanding extra safeguards to flush out “thrill-seekers” they claim are “willing to lie in order to win a seat on the jury with the hopes it might lead to fame or a book or movie deal.”

Read more:

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/12/aaron_hernandez_team_fears_stealth_jurors

Aaron Hernandez trial update: Trial in January to take 6 to 10 weeks

By:  Associated Press
Posted: 5:03 AM, Dec 22, 2014
Updated: 2:30 PM, Dec 22, 2014

FALL RIVER, MA - The murder trial of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez is expected to take six to 10 weeks, prosecutors said Monday.

Hernandez was in Bristol County Superior Court for one of his final hearings before his January trial in the 2013 killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd in an industrial park near Hernandez's North Attleborough home.

Dressed in a dark blazer, Hernandez sat silently during the hearing. He answered "yes" to a series of questions regarding jury selection and other trial procedures posed by Judge E. Susan Garsh.

Read more:

http://www.abc15.com/sports/sports-blogs-national/aaron-hernandez-trial-update-hearing-set-for-ex-patriot-facing-murder-trial

Aaron Hernandez notebook: Murder trial is approaching

Brian Fraga
Herald News Staff Reporter
Dec. 26, 2014 3:57 p.m.

~Snipped~

- On Jan. 6, Hernandez will appear for his final pretrial conference in courtroom 7 at the Fall River Justice Center. Later that day, there will be a meeting with Judge E. Susan Garsh, the prosecutors, the defense team and the media to discuss the ground rules for the trial, which is expected to last 6 to 10 weeks.

- The list of potential civilian witnesses has more than 120 names on it, though attorneys said they expect to call less than half of those people. The potential witnesses who could be called to testify includes Patriots owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and Brandon Spikes, the former Patriots middle linebacker who played this past season with the Buffalo Bills.

- Pictures of Hernandez's tattoos - taken while he was being processed at the Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth last summer - may be submitted into evidence. Hernandez has 'Blood' written on one hand, but he has denied gang affiliations.

- There could be extensive testimony about the footwear Hernandez is alleged to have worn on the night of the murder, and how that corresponds to foot prints at the crime scene. For the record, the prosecution's documents say Hernandez wore Air Jordan 11 retro low sneakers.

- A Portuguese translator may be required for some portions of the trial.

- On Jan. 8, Hernandez will return to the House of Correction in Dartmouth, where he will remain for the duration of the trial. He was transferred earlier this year to a jail in Suffolk County, where he is also facing murder charges.

- Jury selection will begin On Jan. 9, and continue Jan. 12 and Jan. 13. On each day, 125 prospective jurors will be summoned to the courthouse to fill out questionnaires before being dismissed. That works out to about 1,125 prospective jurors in the initial call.

- See more at: http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20141226/BLOGS/141227912#sthash.buP4YDVI.dpuf

By Crimesider Staff / AP /  December 31, 2014, 5:00 PM

Prosecutors want Aaron Hernandez jury to hear gun testimony

BOSTON - Prosecutors have asked a judge to allow testimony that former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez owned a gun similar to the one used to kill Odin Lloyd.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to murder in connection with the June 2013 slaying of Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.

Prosecutors said in Tuesday's filing that Hernandez told a friend weeks before Lloyd's death that he owned a .45-caliber pistol. Authorities allege Lloyd was shot with the same type of weapon.

Prosecutors also asked the judge to bar the defense from calling an expert witness who can describe the effects of the drug PCP on the brain, saying there's no evidence suggesting PCP played a role in the killing.

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/prosecutors-want-aaron-hernandez-jury-told-of-gun/

Prosecutors want Aaron Hernandez jury told of gun

By PHILIP MARCELO and MARK PRATT (Associated Press)
4 hours ago
AP - Sports

BOSTON (AP) -- Prosecutors have asked a judge to allow testimony during Aaron Hernandez's upcoming murder trial from a friend who says the former New England Patriots star owned a gun similar to the one used to kill semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd in 2013.

In a court filing Tuesday, the Bristol County district attorney's office says Hernandez told longtime friend Robert Paradis about six weeks before Lloyd's death that he owned a .45-caliber pistol. Authorities say Lloyd was shot with the same type of weapon, which they say has never been recovered because Hernandez asked his fiancee to dispose of it and other evidence of the crime

~Snipped~

In their filing, prosecutors say Hernandez flew Paradis, a former high school teammate in Bristol, Connecticut, out to Los Angeles in April 2013 and mentioned he owned the gun. Later, after heading back to Boston, Hernandez called Paradis to check that the gun was still where he left it in a dresser wrapped in a black T-shirt, prosecutors said. Paradise confirmed a gun was there but did not unwrap it to determine its make or model.

''The defendant's brag that he had a '.45' is clearly evidence from which the jury could find, close in time to the murder, that Hernandez possessed a weapon matching the identical large caliber handgun used in the murder of Odin Lloyd,'' prosecutors wrote in their motion. ''It is not a simple matter to obtain an illegal handgun. That the defendant had done so is strong evidence of his ability to have obtained the means to commit the murder of Odin Lloyd.''

Read more:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/prosecutors-want-aaron-hernandez-jury-told-gun-165618424--nfl.html

New prosecutor in place, Aaron Hernandez murder trial nears Jan. 9 start

By Ray Slover
Last updated on January 2, 2015 6:01pm EST

Aaron Hernandez will face trial beginning Jan. 9 in the slaying of Odin Lloyd. Several developments on Friday brought the case closer to its beginning.

A new prosecutor was named for the case to be tried in Fall River, Mass., according to media reports. And at hearing Hernandez asked the just to allow his mother and fiancée to attend the trial.

~Snipped~

The biggest development Friday involved a change in the state's lead attorney in the case. Sam Sutter, who has been the Bristol County district attorney, had to step aside after being elected mayor of Fall River.

In his place, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick named Sutter's top assistant, Thomas M. Quinn III, the lead prosecutor.

Hernandez defenders want Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh to lift an other banning Terri Valentine Hernandez and Shayannah Jenkins. Both are under a sequestration order issued last month, according to The Hartford Courant.

Read more:

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2015-01-02/aaron-hernandez-murder-trial-odin-lloyd-begins-jan-9-patriots-prosecutor-change

Hernandez in court for final appearance before North Attleboro murder trial

Posted: Tuesday, January 6, 2015 9:32 am |  Updated: 9:49 am, Tue Jan 6, 2015.  

BY DAVID LINTON SUN CHRONICLE STAFF  |


FALL RIVER — Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez is in court this morning for a final appearance before he goes on trial Friday for allegedly murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro in 2013.  
 
Prosecutors and Hernandez’s lawyers are expected to take up their remaining issues before jury selection begins Friday in Fall River Superior Court.  

~Snipped~

Among the issues pending before trial are requests to the judge by prosecutors to allow testimony from a Hernandez friend who says Hernandez owned a gun similar to the one used to kill Lloyd, and to prevent the defense team from calling an expert witness who can describe the effects of the drug PCP on the brain.

Hernandez has asked the judge to allow his mother and Jenkins to attend the trial even though they are listed as witnesses and would not normally be allowed in the courtroom.

The defense also wants the judge to prevent the prosecution from calling witnesses to an incident on the East Side of Providence in which Hernandez was harassed by a New York Jets fan at a nightclub. A man allegedly with Hernandez fled and discarded a .22 caliber handgun under a parked car. The gun was linked to the same Florida gun shop where another .22 caliber handgun, found in woods off Landry Avenue near Hernandez’s home, was sold.  

The defense also wants the judge to prohibit the jury from being told about bracelets worn by Lloyd, including one in memory of a cousin who was the victim in an unsolved Boston homicide.

Read more:

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/hernandez-in-court-for-final-appearance-before-north-attleboro-murder/article_d86ad2ea-95b0-11e4-8a21-93099f638865.html

LIVESTREAM

WATCH: Final Pre-Trial Hearing for Aaron Hernandez in 2013 Murder

Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez is due in court on Tuesday before he goes on trial Friday for allegedly killing Odin Lloyd in 2013.

Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 • Updated at 8:45 AM CST

Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez is in court for his final appearance before he goes on trial Friday for allegedly murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2013.

Prosecutors and Hernandez's lawyers are expected to take up their remaining issues at 9 a.m. Tuesday before jury selection begins on Friday in Bristol County Superior Court.

Read more:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/Final-Pre-Trial-Hearing-for-Aaron-Hernandez-287618511.html

The Judge just denied the commonwealth's motion to cover (or remove) family photos, memorabilia, tributes, trophies, etc. when the jury is taken to view Aaron Hernandez' house because they don't want this objects to elicit some kind of sympathy or draw the jurors' attention to things that have nothing to do with the night in question.

The judge is telling the prosecutors that they are asking her to order an strategic scene manipulation ....

The defense argued that Hernandez' house should be viewed exactly as it was the night Odin died; "the commonwealth served warrants after warrants to search the house and they took photos that show how every room looked when they performed the searches, the jury should see those photos". "We don't want the house to look empty, with bare walls with nails sticking out, like a "drug den", and that's exactly what the prosecution wants to portrait."

They cited a case law about a statue that was erected after the fact at a scene of a crime and the judge presiding over the case granted a motion to cover the statue because it didn't exist when the crime took place. The defense said this case is totally different, everything in Hernandez house is the same way it was when the death of Odin occurred. The judge agreed ....

Judge will let jurors see Aaron Hernandez’s trophy case; mom allowed to attend trial

Hernandez, the ex-New England Patriots tight end, is charged with murder for the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez fiancee Shayanna Jenkins.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS / Published: Tuesday, January 6, 2015, 11:34 AM / Updated: Tuesday, January 6, 2015, 11:53 AM

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — Prosecutors won’t be permitted to cover up a trophy case in Aaron Hernandez’s home when jurors visit it during the former New England Patriots star’s murder trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Fall River Superior Court Justice Susan Garsh rejected a request to shield the trophies from jurors’ view.

Prosecutor William McCauley maintained that the defense team wanted to impress jurors. But Hernandez’s lawyer argued that the house should be shown to the jurors exactly the way it was at the time of Odin Lloyd’s death.

~Snipped~

On Tuesday, the judge also allowed Jenkins and Hernandez’s mother to attend the trial, even though they may be called as witnesses.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/judge-jurors-aaron-hernandez-trophy-case-article-1.2067281

Hernandez’s trophies will be visible when jurors tour home

By Maria Cramer and John R. Ellement Globe Staff  January 06, 2015

~Snipped~

In court, Bristol Assistant District Attorney William McCauley asked Garsh to order Hernandez’s defense team to drape a sheet over an area in the house where a college football jersey, trophies, and medals are displayed.
         
Garsh and the attorneys referred to the murder trial of former football star O.J. Simpson, when officials learned that someone had placed a Bible on a table in a room viewed by jurors, a book that was not inside the room at the time of the homicides. Lawyers now call that “strategic manipulation.’’

In the Hernandez case, McCauley argued that jurors could come away with a positive impression of Hernandez that could prejudice them against the prosecution case. The defense, he said, “wants to get the benefit of having a jury impressed by trophies or medals.’’

But defense attorney James Sultan said that reason jurors walk through crime scenes or other locations during a trial is so they can fully understand where events played out. He also said that the goal of a criminal trial is to find the truth.

“This trial is about reality,’’ Sultan said. “The fact that Mr. Hernandez played for the Patriots – that’s in this case, that’s part of this case, and we can’t change that. The trial should be about the truth, about the truth of his house...not strategic manipulation.’’

Read more:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/06/aaron-hernandez-gets-final-pre-trial-hearing-murder/6H8cHccD7FbL25lz9fUNMI/story.html?hootPostID=2e7af092eb493fc6fea89ffb1452845d

NFL rising star Aaron Hernandez now set for murder trial

By MICHELLE R. SMITH and PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press January 8, 2015 Updated 29 minutes ago

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Aaron Hernandez was once one of the New England Patriots' biggest stars. A tight end who caught passes from Tom Brady and helped land his team a spot in the Super Bowl, he had a $40 million contract and fans willing to shell out $100 apiece for jerseys bearing his name and team number: 81.

On Friday, he goes on trial for murder. Those jerseys — indeed anything with a Patriots or NFL logo or even football-related insignia — have been banned from the courthouse by the judge overseeing the trial, a reflection of the sensitivity of the case and the intense interest in it.

Hernandez is accused of killing Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semiprofessional football player from Boston who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Lloyd was found shot to death June 17, 2013, in an industrial park near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough. Also charged with murder are two Hernandez friends: Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace. Prosecutors haven't said who pulled the trigger but said Hernandez orchestrated the killing. Ortiz and Wallace will be tried separately.

Read more:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2015/01/08/4460284/nfl-rising-star-aaron-hernandez.html?sp=/99/107/149/#storylink=cpy

Jury Selection to Begin in Aaron Hernandez Trial

Hernandez is accused of killing a semipro player he was friends with

By  Noreen O'Donnell

Thursday, Jan 8, 2015 • Updated at 5:25 PM EST

Less than two years ago, Aaron Hernandez was one of the most exciting players to watch in the NFL, a talented tight end who had signed a $40 million contract extension with the New England Patriots. The once rising star grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, the son of a locally acclaimed high school tailback, and starred at the University of Florida before being drafted into the NFL.

But his fall was fast. On June 28, 2013, Hernandez was arrested in the killing of his friend, Odin Llyod, a semipro football player. Later that day, the Patriots released him. Within a year, a Massachusetts grand jury had also charged him in a double homicide from 2012 in Boston, and authorities in Florida announced they wanted to talk to him about two earlier unsolved shootings.

Hernandez, 25, has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Read more:

http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Aaron-Hernandez-Trial-Begins-Odin-Lloyd-Case-287718651.html

Aaron Hernandez’s Fiancée May Get Immunity To Testify Against Him

January 8, 2015 by The Trial Diaries

"...Prosecutors have submitted a petition to grant Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, immunity in exchange for testifying against Hernandez. This would be a huge coup for the prosecution, as Jenkins has been pinned as the one who disposed of the alleged murder weapon, and would therefore be the only one with direct knowledge of what happened to it. If she can be flipped against Hernandez, he’s in big trouble.

According to court documents, Hernandez sent Jenkins a coded text message the day after the alleged murder, instructing her to dispose of the gun. It read:

[b] “Go in back of the screen in movie room when u get home an there is the box avielle likes to play with in the tub jus in case u were looking for it!!!! Member how u ruined that big tv lmao WAS JUST THINKIN bout that lol wink wink love u TTYL ….. K”.[b]

Either Hernandez and Jenkins had already set up a complicated code system should a situation in which she needed to dispose of a murder weapon arise, or they are better at reading each other’s minds than any couple in history...."



http://thetrialdiaries.com/aaron-hernandezs-fiancee-may-get-immunity-to-testify-against-him/

Aaron Hernandez's fiancee could get immunity to testify

Kevin Vaughan
FOX Sports
JAN 07, 2015 2:17p ET

FALL RIVER, Mass.   —  A deal appears to be in the works to grant immunity to Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée – who has been accused of ditching the gun used to kill Odin Lloyd – so she can testify for the prosecution in the former football star’s upcoming murder trial.

Shayanna Jenkins and her attorney spent more than an hour in a closed-door hearing Wednesday morning to consider a petition to offer her immunity from prosecution in exchange for her testimony – a development that, if it is granted, could dramatically alter the course of the prosecution’s case against Hernandez. In Jenkins, they would have a witness they believe knows what happened to the .45-caliber Glock that was used in Lloyd’s murder.

The petition is sealed, and as of Wednesday afternoon Judge E. Susan Garsh had not signed an order that would grant Jenkins immunity.

A second order granting immunity to one of his cousins was signed by Judge Garsh.

Read more:

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/aaron-hernandez-fianc-e-immunity-testify-new-england-patriots-010715

Jury selection gets underway in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial

By Michelle R. Smith Associated Press
01/09/2015 10:28 AM

FALL RIVER, Mass.  —  Jury selection is underway in Massachusetts in the murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez appeared Friday before around 125 potential jurors. A Bristol County Superior Court clerk read out the charges against him in the June 2013 shooting of semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd.

Hernandez greeted jurors with a "good morning."

Each juror had an envelope containing a questionnaire. The judge asked them to fill it out completely and said they shouldn't discuss their jury service or the case with anyone.

Read more here:

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article5671218.html#storylink=cpy

--------------------------

EXCERPTS:

~Snipped~

Hernandez greeted the jurors with "good morning" when he was introduced to them by Bristol County Superior Judge Susan Garsh, then sat impassively and looked around the room as Garsh described the charges against him.

"I want to stress that the charges in the indictment are merely allegations - claims if you will," Garsh told around 125 prospective jurors. The indictment, she said, "is not evidence of anything."

Prospective jurors were instructed on what will be involved in trying Hernandez, and they were asked to fill out questionnaires. More than 1,000 people are expected to report as prosecutors and defense lawyers haggle over whom to seat on the jury.

~Snipped~

The potential jurors are expected to report Friday, Monday and Tuesday for the first phase of jury selection, filling out written questionnaires.

Later next week, Garsh will conduct individual questioning of jurors. Eighteen jurors will be selected. The entire process is expected to last at least through next week, and it could take longer.

Nearly 300 people are on the prosecution's list of potential witnesses, including Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.

Among the others listed as potential witnesses is Hernandez's fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins. Prosecutors have said Jenkins lied dozens of times to the grand jury investigating Lloyd's killing, including when she said she couldn't remember where she disposed of a large box from the basement of their home that Hernandez apparently told her to get rid of. She had been granted immunity before her grand jury testimony.

Read more:

http://www.wave3.com/story/27798844/aaron-hernandez-murder-trial-to-begin-with-jury-selection