Judge rejects request by Hernandez to move trial
A Massachusetts judge on Thursday denied a request from former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez to move his trial in the fatal shooting of a semi-professional football player to a different county.
Hernandez, a former tight end for the Patriots, is charged in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiance. Lloyd’s body was found in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez’s home in North Attleborough.
In Fall River Superior Court Thursday, Hernandez’s lawyer, Michael Fee, urged a judge to move the trial out of Bristol County, citing what he called “sensational and inflammatory” media coverage he said has prejudiced potential jurors against Hernandez. Fee said the press coverage of Hernandez has been “relentless” and has often included references to other crimes, including separate charges against Hernandez in Suffolk County in the 2012 killings of two Boston men.
Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh denied the motion to change venue, finding that Hernandez’s lawyers had not shown that the Bristol County community’s prejudgment of the case is so substantial that picking impartial jurors would be impossible.
The San Diego Chargers will lose rookie cornerback Jason Verrett for at least one game and probably longer with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Verrett originally hurt his shoulder in a victory at Oakland on Oct. 12 – which he sealed with a last-minute interception – and aggravated it in a loss at Denver last Thursday night.
The first-round draft pick will miss the game at Miami on Sunday, when the Chargers (5-3) will try to snap a two-game losing streak.
The Chargers then have their bye.
Both Verrett and coach Mike McCoy said it wasn’t a mistake for Verrett to play in Thursday night’s 35-21 loss at Denver. Verrett left in the second quarter and stood on the sideline in the second half with his left arm in a sling.
“No, not at all,” Verrett said. “My goal is to always be ready every week. I tested it out pregame. I felt great. I just was trying to go out there because we were kind of short at corner. I just wanted to help my team.”
Said McCoy: “We’re not going to put anyone out there if we don’t think they’re ready to play. That’s regardless of what the injury is, what body part. They spend a lot of hours in the training room to get better and get healthy and a number of players would play with certain things. Some play with his injury, some other players have played with it in the past, also. He’s not the first guy to do this.”
Verrett played most of his senior season at TCU with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, which was surgically repaired in March.
Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden says he has “every intent” of starting Robert Griffin III on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
Gruden said Thursday that the Redskins feel Griffin is 100 percent recovered from a dislocated left ankle suffered in Week 2.
Griffin took most of the first-team snaps in practice ahead of Colt McCoy, who started Monday night’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Gruden hedged only a little, saying that there could be setback in the next two days that would prompt him to start McCoy again, but the coach said there’s no sense in keep Griffin sidelined if healthy.