Aaron Hernandez is currently awaiting trial in jail for the murder of Odin Lloyd and while he faces first degree murder charges, one big question has come up for the star in whether he can get a fair trial in Massachusetts.
According to SI.com legal writer Michael McCann, the high profile nature of Hernandez and all the media attention, there is a chance that an impartial jury may not be found. Hernandez is a known figure in the area and with the media attention getting stronger each day, there is a chance that the trail could have some exterior issues that do not include the charges or the evidence. Hernandez has the right to an impartial jury and that could get swayed in both ways, as people may support him as a Patriots star or could go against him for the same reasons.
During Hernandez's bail hearing last week after he was arraigned, Judge Renee Dupuis had to decide whether the attention on Hernandez warranted him to get out on bail, which she later decided to deny based on evidence presented by lawyers. The Boston media has been all over the story and that could affect the jury selection later down the line and there is a good chance they will try and say that the pool has already been swayed by the attention.
The jury pool attack for the defense is likely the only thing they can try to do in the situation and based on past cases, there is a good chance that it will not work. Hernandez already did not get any special treatment in his arrest and at his bail hearing, so it is likely that it will continue that way until the trial. On top of that, Hernandez is now facing more possible charges after being linked to another double murder from last year in the deaths of Safiro Furtado and Daniel Abreu and he could later face even more charges based on other cases, including an accused shooting.
Hernandez has been arrested for the murder and kept in jail since Wednesday, after which the Patriots released him despite recently giving him a $40 million contract and now the team will take a big cap hit. The issue with the jury could come down to who is a football fan and who isn't, but it is likely that the trial will go on as the judge would like scheduled. Hernandez was denied bail because despite being high profile, he has the means to flee and since the charges are so serious, he could have a reason to try and escape.
Hernandez was one of the top young players in the NFL and he is just one of 28 that has been arrested since the Super Bowl and it has become a big issue for the NFL.
