Assistant District Attorney William McCauley lost a small battle in the case of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. McCauley had sought to have trophy cases in Hernandez's home hidden when jurors visit during the trial, but had his request denied.
McCauley said that the presence of the awards allowed for "strategic manipulation" of his home to present a better portrait of him, citing the way former NFLer O.J. Simpson's home was carefully arranged during his own murder trial.
One of Hernandez's lawyers, James Sultan, countered that Hernandez's history as a decorated college and pro football player is part of the case, and his awards shouldn't be taken out of the equation. "The fact the Mr. Hernandez played for the Patriots, that's in the case," Sultan said. "The trial is about the truth. This is the truth of his house."
This latest squabble was one of many between Hernandez's defense team and the prosecution, with both sides scoring some victories. A recent, major win for Hernandez's side was convincing the judge to disallow mentions of Hernandez's second pending case, a 2012 double homicide.
In that instance Hernandez stands accused of gunning down two men, Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu, following an altercation inside a Boston nightclub. The two men are believed to have spilled a drink on Hernandez, angering him to the point that he waited for them to leave and shot them as they waited at a red light.
Several notable names are on the witness list for the Lloyd trial, including Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and former teammates Brandon Spikes and Mike Pouncey. Spikes and Pouncey both played with Hernandez in college on the Florida Gators, while Spikes actually teamed with him again in New England.
[ESPN]
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