Judge Allows Prosecutors More Time in Aaron Hernandez Case

Prosecutors have been granted more time to present evidence to the grand jury in the murder case against former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez appeared on Wednesday afternoon in Attleboro District Court in Massachusetts for what was supposed to be a probable cause hearing, but prosecutors said they are still presenting evidence and the grand jury is still considering it.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old Boston semi-professional football player whose body was found June 17 in an industrial park in North Attleboro near Hernandez's home. He had been shot five times.

Prosecutors said Hernandez orchestrated Lloyd's killing because he was upset at him for talking to people Hernandez had problems with at a nightclub a few days earlier.

They said he and two associates, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, drove with Lloyd to the industrial park.

Lloyd's family was sitting in a the courtroom for the hearing and visibly shaken as details of the case were discussed.

Authorities have not said who fired the shots, but documents filed in Florida -- and released since Hernandez's last court appearance -- paint the former Patriot as the trigger man. According to the records, Ortiz told police that Wallace said Hernandez fired the shots.

Hernandez's lawyers said the case against him is circumstantial and he wants to clear his name.

Hernandez is being held without bail at a county jail. THernandez attorney James Sultan objected to the delay, saying his client has already been jailed for four weeks.

he next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22 at 2 p.m.

Wallace and Ortiz also are facing charges. Wallace pleaded not guilty to a charge of being an accessory to murder after the fact. Ortiz has pleaded not guilty to a gun charge.

Another hearing will also be held pertaining to third-party video.

 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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