The Aaron Hernandez trial is on schedule to start this week with jury selection in the Odin Lloyd murder case and as that gets ready, the former New England Patriots tight end has been granted his request that his fiancé Shayanna Jenkins and his mother Terri Hernandez be allowed in court during the proceedings despite the fact that they may be called as witnesses.
According to ESPN.com, the judge in the case allowed both Jenkins and Hernandez to attend the trial and she also denied the prosecution's request that a trophy case in Hernandez's home be covered during a juror visit. The report says that both Hernandez and Jenkins will be allowed to attend the trail even though they could be called as witnesses and his fiancé comes in with her own charges, as she is dealing with a perjury case.
The trial is set to be begin over a year after Hernandez was originally arrested in the death of Lloyd. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancé and the two were acquaintances. Lloyd's body was found shot to death less than a mile from Hernandez's home and he was taken in as a suspect soon after the body was discovered.
Judge Susan Garsh ruled against the prosecution and said that the defense will be allowed to display a trophy case in Hernandez's home and it does not need to be covered up. The prosecution argued that the defense team would try and use the trophies to "impress" the jurors, but that request was denied. The prosecution was granted a decision though, as they can take jurors to see the cellphone towers in the area that will help pinpoint the location of Hernandez during the time of the murder.
Hernandez is charged with first degree murder in this case and he also is facing first degree murder charges in another case that will start after the Lloyd trial. Hernandez was arrested less than 10 days after the body of Lloyd was found less than a mile from his home and two men, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, were also arrested in connection with the crime. Hernandez now faces multiple murder charges across two cases, including two more charges stemming from a drive by shooting from 2012.
Hernandez was one of the top young tight ends in the NFL when he was arrested and he recently had signed a major extension with the Patriots. Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski made for a two headed monster and the arrest of Hernandez was followed by his swift release from the Pats. A Rolling Stone article from last year detailed the troubled history of Hernandez, including multiple incidents in college, past gun issues as well as possible gang ties.
