After 5th Day of Jury Deliberations, Still No Verdict in Aaron Hernandez Trial
Jurors in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial have still not reached a verdict after completing their fifth day — and more than 27 total hours — of deliberations Monday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, attorneys from both sides gathered as Judge E. Susan Garsh reinstated juror smoke breaks during their deliberation sessions. Juror smoke breaks had been allowed during recesses in the trial, but they were not provided since deliberations began last week. Garsh said they would allow jurors to take smoking breaks, as long as they were accompanied by a court officer, and that they didn’t deliberate unless all 12 members were in the room.
Garsh dismissed the jurors at 4:30 p.m. Monday and reminded them to avoid any media coverage or discussion of the case outside of court.
Deliberations began last Tuesday afternoon after the prosecution and defense made their closing arguments. For the first time in the trial, Hernandez’s defense team acknowledged Hernandez was present at the scene when Odin Lloyd was murdered, but said he was not an accomplice in the killing and simply panicked afterwards. They argued that co-defendants Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace committed the murder.
Prosecutors argued that evidence showing Hernandez holding a gun and driving the car the night of the murder implicate the former New England Patriot in the crime.
On Thursday, Garsh banned a WHDH-TV photographer after he followed the jury bus after deliberations on Wednesday to the location jurors parked their cars.
Jurors will deliberate every weekday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until a verdict is reached.
Hernandez faces a first-degree murder charge for his alleged involvement in Lloyd’s killing, as well as illegal gun and ammunition possession charges. After this trial concludes, the former Patriots tight end will also be tried for a 2012 South Boston double murder.
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