Judge: 2012 Killings, Victim's Final Text Messages Not Allowed in Aaron Hernandez Case

Prosecutors won't be allowed to talk about victim's final text messages, 2012 double homicide with which Hernandez is charged

Former New England Patriot player Aaron Hernandez was back in a Fall River, Massachusetts, courtroom Friday, charged with murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd.

Lloyd's body was found in a North Attleboro industrial park, near Hernandez's home, back in June of 2013.

In court, Judge Susan Garsh made a number of rulings in Hernandez's favor.

For starters, prosecutors won't be able to tell the jury about a 2012 Boston double homicide, in which Hernandez is also charged with two counts of murder.

Prosecutors have said Hernandez may have shown Lloyd the spot where the shootings allegedly took place, and that was possible motive for his killing.

"We're talking about 3 people getting killed and a 4th getting shot between the eyes in 11 months all involving this defendant," said Bristol County Prosecutor William McCauley.

The Judge also ruled the final text messages Lloyd sent to his sister won't be allowed into trial, nor a TMZ photo of Hernandez which shows him holding a gun.

The text messages are important because prosecutors say Lloyd sent them while in a car with Hernandez and two others the night of the murder, and say they show that Lloyd had become fearful of Hernandez.

One text said, "u saw who I'm with," a follow up said "NFL," a third said "just so u know."

Hernandez's lawyers, though, argued the text messages didn't mean Lloyd was scared, but rather was bragging about who he was with.

"It's a totally innocuous message, it doesn't suggest, you saw who I'm with, it doesn't indicate fear, it doesn't indicate a cry for help," said Hernandez defense attorney James Sultan

NECN Legal Editor Randy Chapman says the Judge excluded the text messages because she felt that the statement that I'm with NFL was speculative."

Judge Garsh also said prosecutors can't introduce the shooting of Alexander Bradley, a former associate of Hernandez, who's filed a civil suit against Hernandez for allegedly shooting him in the eye.

"I think today Aaron Hernandez certainly walked away feeling as though he got justice. I certainly believe the defense counsel got almost everything they were looking for in terms of whittling down this evidence to exactly what happened that night," said Chapman.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to all three murders.

Chapman says prosecutors can now seek an appeal of the Judge's decisions, possibly delaying the January trial date.
 

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