Aaron Hernadez’s lawyers are concerned that the jury selection process for the for New England Patriots tight end’s murder trial might not weed out fame-seekers.
The attorneys want to play a bigger role in the selection process to help weed out “stealth” jurors, according to a report by The Boston Globe. Hernandez goes to trial Jan. 9 for the June 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.
“In criminal prosecutions involving celebrities or prominent persons, one must contemplate the possibility that one or more members of the (jury pool) may harbor illicit intentions and try assiduously — even lie — to become a juror thinking that it will bring them fame or simply thrills,’’ wrote the attorneys, who filed two motions in Bristol Superior Court.
The lawyers said that the publicity surrounding the case along with Hernandez’s status as a professional athlete to secure an impartial jury.
“Granting Hernandez additional peremptory challenges is one measure well within the Court’s discretionary power that will help vindicate his constitutional rights,” the lawyers said.
To help keep things impartial, Bristol superior court judge E. Susan Garsh barred Patriots gear from the courtroom.
Photo via Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
