Introduction
Aaron Hernandez was a close friend to Odin Lloyd, the boyfriend of his fiancée’s sister. In 2015, a 12-person jury found Hernandez guilty of first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd; the trial went on for more than two months, and after hearing the testimonies from 132 witnesses, Judge Susan Garsh of Massachusetts Supreme Court gave Hernandez a life sentence without parole (Slifer, 2015). Hernandez was also found guilty of illegal firearm and ammunition possession. The prosecution provided evidence, including video surveillance, cell phone records, marijuana residue, tire tracks, and shoe prints (Slifer, 2015). Carols Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, who accompanied Hernandez during Lloyd’s murder, were previously charged with being accessory to murder. While in prison, Hernandez hanged himself few days after Massachusetts court acquitted him of double-murder charges in a different case. Their decision was based on the “abatement ab intio” statute that claims that convictions can be overlooked if a defendant dies before their appeal is resolved (Marco & Sanchez, 2019). However, the Supreme Court stated that the statute is outdated and no longer relevant to Lloyd’s death and upheld the murder conviction. In criminal cases, the burden of proof is a requirement that a prosecution must prove the presented facts have a legal basis, substantial evidence, probable cause, and are beyond a reasonable doubt. Aaron Hernandez’s trial was vital in the prosecution of criminal cases in the US since it demonstrates the significance of incorporating clear, convincing, and substantial evidence. Besides, it also guides the trial courts about the significance of using modern technologies and significant witness statements to prosecute criminals even without proving their motives.
Opening Statements
The Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg was the most persuasive party in Hernandez’s trial. Unlike the defense attorney Michael Fee, Bomberg gave detailed events before and after Lloyd’s death. Bomberg explained to the court the relationship between Odin Floyd and Aaron Hernandez and described how Hernandez killed his friends for allegedly knowing about and threatening to expose a double-murder that occurred years ago ( Croaker, 2015 ). Furthermore, Bomberg gave the jury significant facts to consider in the murder conviction. At first, Bomberg presented a screenshot that showed the text messages between Hernandez and Lloyd. The conversation showed that Hernandez invited Lloyd to a night out ( Croaker, 2015 ). However, Michael Fee attempted to manipulate the jury into believing that the conversations were an implication of close friendship between Hernandez and Lloyd. At this point, there was no clear motive for the crime. Later, Patrick Bomberg presented video surveillance that linked Hernandez to Lloyd’s death. The image showed Nissan Altima that Hernandez had rented parked outside Lloyd’s house at 2:33 a.m. on June 17—the same day Lloyd died (Sterbenz & Gaines, 2017). Patrick Bomberg stated that Hernandez picked up Lloyd and gave proof of the text messages that Lloyd sent to his sister claiming he was with an NFL player. Hernandez was the only NFL player who had accompanied Lloyd that night. Shortly after the incident, the video footage showed Hernandez returning home without Lloyd ( Croaker, 2015 ). Patrick Bomberg explained that Hernandez might have killed Lloyd since he lived close to an industrial park where witnesses found Lloyd’s body. Besides, the prosecution also highlighted that Hernandez had a gun during the night of Lloyd’s murder. Bomberg presented Lloyd’s home video surveillance that showed Hernandez walking in, briefly after returning without Llloyd, carrying an object that looked like a gun ( Croaker, 2015 ). From the video, the dark shape instrument resembled a Glock. Furthermore, Patrick Bomberg linked Hernandez’s tire tracks, shoe prints, and a marijuana joint to the murder scene (Slifer, 2015). He claimed that Hernandez and Lloyd used to smoke marijuana; the crime scene had a marijuana joint with their DNA. Unlike the defense attorney, Patrick Bomberg had provided the jury with a substantial, detailed, and connecting background story that showed Hernandez’s role in Lloyd’s death.
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Establishing/Challenging a Prima Facie Case for Murder
Carlos Ortiz was a key witness who enabled the prosecution to establish the prima facie case of the murder trial. He had accompanied Hernandez and Ernest Wallace at the night of Lloyd’s death. Ortiz claimed that Wallace admitted to him about killing Lloyd (ESPN, 2013). Hernandez did not like the way Lloyd interacted with the people whom he disliked. However, Ortiz stated that Hernandez and Lloyd sought their differences later (ESPN, 2013). That night, Ortiz noticed an unusual event. He told the judge that he heard gunshots after Hernandez, Wallace, and Lloyd had left the car to urinate, but they returned to the car without Lloyd (CBS News, 2016). The car sped after the incident, and while driving, Wallace requested Ortiz to give him a gun that was under the seat, which he gave to Hernandez. Besides, Ortiz claimed they returned the Altima and rented Chrysler, which was seen in the video footage when the three friends entered Hernandez’s home (ESPN, 2013). The jurors linked Ortiz’s story to the events that unfolded and noticed that Hernandez was responsible for Lloyd’s murder. For example, after the police officers had found Lloyd’s body, Hernandez called his girlfriend and asked not to cooperate with the law enforcement agents (ESPN, 2013). Hernandez’s acts showed that he was responsible for Lloyd’s death. Besides, Ortiz described the car whose tire tracks were to the ones that drove past Lloyd’s body. Also, the disagreement between Lloyd and Hernandez proved Hernandez’s motive. The jurors also noted that the Altima had marijuana and shell casings fired from the firearm that Ortiz gave to Hernandez.
Evidence
The video surveillance was also vital in establishing the prima facie case for murder. More specifically, the image had accurate details of events that showed Hernandez's involvement in the murder (Sterbenz & Gaines, 2017). The video showed the time Hernandez picked up Lloyd from his place and the time he returned alone. Although the gun that Hernandez allegedly held was never found, police officers discovered five .45-caliber casings at the crime scene (Sterbenz & Gaines, 2017). Besides, a similar firearm that looked like a Glock fired all the shots. Therefore, Hernandez’s dark object in the video could be linked to the Glock used to murder Lloyd. The video also showed that Wallace and Carlos accompanied Hernandez on the night of Lloyd’s death. Additionally, the timeline of the events in the surveillance video matched the conversations that Lloyd exchanged with his sister. Also, the video showed Hernandez, Wallace, and Ortiz—the people who Lloyd interacted with before his death. For this reason, the video was admissible in establishing that Hernandez was guilty of murder.
Closing Arguments
The prosecution had stronger arguments than the defense team. During the closing arguments, the assistant district attorney William McCauley stated that Hernandez was guilty of murder since his behavior after the crime was questionable (Slifer, 2015). Hernandez had interacted with Wallace and Ortiz after Lloyd’s death and assisted them to flee from justice. Besides, the prosecution presented adequate evidence that ascertained that Hernandez and Lloyd were together during the night of the criminal incident. In contrast, the defense team had weak arguments. For instance, they claimed that the black object that Hernandez held in the video surveillance was an iPad, a video game controller, or a TV remote (Slifer, 2015). No one could prove these claims. Besides, James Sultan, Hernandez’s defense attorney, acknowledged the defendant was present when Lloyd was murdered but claimed he did not know how to react (Slifer, 2015). This testimony enabled the prosecution to highlight that Hernandez killed Lloyd—a non-guilty person would have reported the incident to the authorities. Also, the DNA evidence found the bullet casings were linked to Hernandez.
Outside Factors
The media affected the outcome of the trial. Hernandez’s case was highly publicized, and most news outlets linked Hernandez’s associates to criminal activities (McPhee, 2013). For instance, Wallace and Ortiz were linked to the past double-murder case. Sports Illustrated claimed that Pouncey, a close associate and former teammate of Hernandez, was connected to the gun-trafficking investigation (McPhee, 2013). CBS News also had published reports of Hernandez’s criminal past. Although the prosecutors denied responsibility, the news about Hernandez’s criminal history made him appear criminal. Hernandez’s defense attorney claimed that extrajudicial accusations had a prejudicial effect on the defendant (McPhee, 2013). Since the negative news came from mainstream media, the jurors were likely to believe that Hernandez was guilty of murder.
Concluding Thoughts
Hernandez’s murder trial is vital to criminal justice. It highlights the significance of providing varied evidence to prove whether an individual is guilty. This case’s outcome ascertains that the criminal justice system does not rely on hearsay but facts. I have learned that the court’s decision requires an in-depth analysis of the presented evidence. At times, the evidence presented by the defense team can be convincing and manipulate jurors to believe a defendant is innocent. However, a keen analysis of facts and evidence presented can highlight the defense team’s faults. During criminal prosecution, the attorneys should provide truthful statements being indicted for perjury charges. After assessing the documentation, my viewpoint supports the Supreme Court's decision. I have discovered that the prosecution investigated the factors related to Lloyd’s death. The prosecutors collected adequate evidence and witness statements that challenge the defendant’s attorney’s arguments. For example, when the defense team claimed that Hernandez had no motive since he was close to Lloyd, the prosecutors disproved this statement by incorporating eyewitnesses’ statements that showed the two had disagreements. The judge was right to sentence Hernandez to a life sentence without parole since he committed first-degree murder.
References
CBS News. (2016, June 17). Aaron Hernandez friend admits helping after Odin Lloyd murder . https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carlos-ortiz-aaron-hernandez-friend-admits-helping-after-odin-lloyd-murder/
ESPN. (2013, July 10). Accomplice told that Hernandez did it. https://www.espn.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/9464868/carlos-ortiz-says-was-told-aaron-hernandez-said-killed-odin-lloyd-according-court-documents
Croaker, Q. (2015, January 29) Aaron Hernandez trial - day 1 - part 1 (Opening Statements) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu2QGbGwpYU&ab_channel=CroakerQueen
Marco, T., & Sanchez, R. (2019, March 13). Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction reinstated by high court. CNN News. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/13/us/aaron-hernandez-murder-conviction-reinstated/index.html
McPhee, A. (2013, December 23). Aaron Hernandez lawyers fear media ‘poisoned’ jury pool . ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/aaron-hernandez-lawyers-fear-media-poisoned-jury-pool/story?id=21312625
Slifer, S. (2015, April 15). Aaron Hernandez guilty of first-degree murder in death of Odin Lloyd. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-hernandez-guilty-of-first-degree-murder-in-death-of-odin-lloyd/
Sterbenz, C., & Gaines, C. (2017, April 19). How prosecutors proved former NFL player Aaron Hernandez guilty of murder. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/aaron-hernandez-murder-case-2017-4#:~:text=Hernandez%20allegedly%20picked%20Lloyd%20up,%22NFL%22%20before%20he%20died.&text=Another%20casing%2C%20found%20in%20the,of%20the%20former%20Patriot's%20DNA.
