Former New England Patriots football star Aaron Hernandez is on trial in Fall River, Massachusetts, accused of killing a semi-professional football player found shot multiple times near Hernandez’s home. Testimony began in January and is expected to take six to 10 weeks.
Hernandez and the victim, Odin Lloyd, had been out at a nightclub two days earlier and later got into a fight, prosecutors say.
Here are some highlights from the court proceedings so far.
Trophies on display, and memories of O.J.
Defense lawyers and prosecutors have been sparring over Hernandez’s football trophies from the start.
The defense won the first round when Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan ruled that the jurors would be allowed to see the trophy case when they toured the house on Feb. 6. Hernandez’s lawyer James Sultan had argued that the house should be shown as it was at the time of Lloyd’s death in 2013.
But the day before the tour, prosecutor Patrick Bomberg prevailed when he told the judge that religious items and memorabilia from Hernandez’s football career had been added to several rooms. He drew a comparison to the O.J. Simpson murder trial when photographs and a Bible were placed in the retired football player’s house. Simpson was later acquitted on charges of killing his former wife and a waiter. Judge Garsh said anything new would have to be covered or removed.
A mother’s tears
Lloyd’s mother, Ursula Ward, twice left the courtroom in tears before testifying on Feb. 4, when the judge asked her not to cry as she was shown photographs of her son.
“I understand this is very emotional for you,” Garsh told her.
Ward remained stoic when she viewed an autopsy photo of her son’s face and another of her son wearing the same clothes he was dressed in when his body was found.
Juror removed
Judge Garsh dismissed one of the jurors on Feb. 3, saying there was evidence that she had discussed her opinion about the case and, in particular, had said that it would be hard to convict Hernandez without the murder weapon, which has never been found. The woman also attended more Patriot games than she disclosed, talked about evidence that the judge had ruled inadmissible and over the last few years had expressed an interest in serving on the jury, the judge said.
To watch the Super Bowl or not
As Hernandez’s former team prepared for the match-up against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL’s championship game, Judge Garsh told the jurors they could watch the game but only if they left the room if Hernandez’s name came up.
“You hear that word, you’ve got to walk out of the room,” Garsh told them on Jan. 30. “Distance yourself.”
During the 2012 Super Bowl, Hernandez caught a touchdown pass from the Patriot’s quarterback, Tom Brady — though the team lost the New York Giants. This year, the Patriots beat the Seahawks 28 - 24 in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 1.
Photo Credit: AP
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