1,000 Potential Jurors Expected In Aaron Hernandez Murder Trial
FALL RIVER, Mass. (CBS/AP) — Jury selection is underway in Massachusetts in the murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez.
Hernandez, 25, is accused of killing Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semiprofessional football player from Boston who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée. Prosecutors say Hernandez and two other men, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, picked Lloyd up at his home in Boston's Dorchester section and took him to an industrial park near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough, where he was shot to death.
Hernandez sat impassively in Bristol County Superior Court and looked around the room at people's faces as Justice Susan Garsh described the charges against him.
"I want to stress that the charges in the indictment are merely allegations — claims if you will," Garsh told prospective jurors. The indictment, she said, "is not evidence of anything."
Prospective jurors were instructed Friday on what will be involved in trying Hernandez, and were asked to fill out questionnaires.
Hernandez faced 375 potential jurors who were called in to fill out a paper with about 50 questions. It was day one of a two week jury selection process that will ultimately narrow a pool of about 1100 down to 18 jurors.
"Jury service is direct democracy," Garsh told potential jurors Friday.
Just because one of them may have read something about the case doesn't mean they can't be fair and impartial, she added.
Prosecutors haven't said who pulled the trigger, but said Hernandez orchestrated the killing. Ortiz and Wallace have pleaded not guilty to murder charges and will be tried separately. The murder weapon, which investigators believe was a .45-caliber Glock, has never been found.
A Fall River Superior Court judge read out the charges against Hernandez, who has pleaded not guilty in the June 2013 shooting death of semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd.
Hernandez had a $40 million contract as a tight end when Lloyd was gunned down. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee.
The court was strictly enforcing a special rule imposed by the judge for the duration of the trial, which bans from the courthouse logos for the Patriots, NFL or any football-related insignia, or words or photographs relating to the case. One man wearing a Boston Bruins jersey and waiting in a security line near potential jurors yelled out, "Go Pats!" and was kicked out of the courthouse.
WBZ legal analyst Harry Manion said "fair and impartial" is not exactly what either side is looking for. "I've empaneled more juries than I can tell, and I'm always looking for a juror who would be empathetic and sympathetic to my client or my client's point of view, and so are they. But what we all say is we're looking for an impartial jury."
Later next week, Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh will conduct individual questioning of jurors.
Acting District Attorney Thomas Quinn made a short statement to media outside court but would not answer questions.
"We look forward to a jury being selected that is fair and impartial to both sides," he said.
Hernandez's lawyers would not comment as they brought in several items, including a mini refrigerator, coffeemaker, Ritz crackers and coat hangers.
Read: Aaron Hernandez Murder Trial: Who's Who
Nearly 300 people are on the prosecution's list of potential witnesses, including Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft.
Among the others listed as potential witnesses are Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins. Prosecutors have said Jenkins lied dozens of times to the grand jury investigating Lloyd's killing, including when she said she couldn't remember where she disposed of a large box from the basement of their home that Hernandez allegedly told her to get rid of. She had been granted immunity before her grand jury testimony.
This week, prosecutors petitioned the judge to grant Jenkins immunity, which would give them the ability to compel her to testify. It was not yet clear whether the judge had granted the petition.
The judge granted a petition for immunity for Hernandez's cousin, Jennifer Mercado. Mercado has not been charged in the case, and it was not clear what testimony she could offer if called.
Mercado's sister, Tanya Singleton, is also on the witness list. She pleaded guilty earlier this year to criminal contempt for failing to testify before the grand jury and was sentenced to two years' probation. Singleton has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit accessory after the fact.
The trial, expected to last six to 10 weeks, will not be the end of Hernandez's legal troubles. He faces separate murder charges in Boston, where he is accused of killing two men after one of them accidentally spilled a drink on Hernandez at a nightclub. The trial date has not yet been set.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
WBZ-TV's Christina Hager contributed to this report.
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