Judge Hears Hernandez Jury Instruction Arguments

According to ESPN, Judge Susan Garsh heard arguments on Friday regarding the instructions she would give to the jury as the trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez neared its conclusion. Hernandez’s attorney, James Sultan, stressed the importance of reminding the jury that the testimony of a Glock employee—who said he believed the black object seen on surveillance footage of Hernandez’s home was a Glock weapon—had been struck from the record. Sultan called the testimony the “most important” of the trial, because it helps the prosecution place a firearm in Hernandez’s hand in the hours immediately following the June murder of Odin Lloyd. Garsh agreed to reiterate to the jury that the employee’s testimony was solely his opinion, and also said she would instruct jurors that any statements Hernandez made outside of the courtroom claiming innocence should not be considered evidence. Prosecutors rested their case on Thursday, and the defense is expected to rest on Monday, with closing arguments to the month-long trial likely to come in the subsequent two days.

Scott Sherman is a Sports Highlight contributor for the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law and a current first year student at Harvard Law School (Class of 2017).