Aaron Hernandez has mostly been out of the news over the past month or so, but on Monday the former NFL player and New England Patriots tight end will be back in court in Massachusetts at Fall River Superior Court in Fall River and the appearance will include pretrial issues as well as discovery status issues that relate to the case.

Hernandez previously appeared in superior court last month for the second time since the case was transferred to the higher court and it will be the first time he is back since being officially arraigned on murder and gun charges, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to. Hernandez is charged with first degree murder as well as multiple gun charges stemming from weapons found inside his home that he shared with his fiancé Shayanna Jenkins.

Hernandez appeared last month in superior court so that the case could be moved to the higher court and on Wednesday the judge is expected to rule on multiple motions, including the possibility if extending the gag order for the case as well as a motion on pretrial discovery of evidence from the prosecution for the defense. Thus far in the case the murder weapon has not been found but in the state of Massachusetts that doesn't mean he can't be found guilty of the crime. 

Hernandez is facing a number of issues on top of his murder charges, including a possible connection to a separate murder, a double homicide from Boston last summer that is still currently unsolved. That occurred near a Boston nightclub and Hernandez has been confirmed to be at the club the night of the murder through video surveillance and while it does not show whether he had an incident with the two men that were later killed, the car that allegedly was used in the drive by shooting was found at Hernandez's uncles home in Bristol. The gun in that case was found this past summer and while it isn't directly tied to Hernandez, the gun links back to a person related to his cousin Tanya Singleton, who is facing charges in the case as well.

Hernandez was considered one of the top right ends in football when he was arrested and that was one reason why the Patriots previously gave him a lucrative contract extension. Hernandez has been in jail awaiting trial on first degree murder charges for some time and reports have him in solitary confinement for his protection and there have also been reports about Hernandez writing letters from jail and speaking with his child on a regular basis.