Aaron Hernandez was denied bail by a Massachusetts superior court judge on Thursday afternoon. The former New England Patriots tight end was originally denied bail at his arraignment on Wednesday where he was charged with first-degree murder along with five other charges related to firearm possession.
Aaron Hernandez’s bail appeal denied
Hernandez was initially denied bail on Wednesday and the court didn’t change its ruling on Thursday.
Hernandez is accused of murdering 27-year-old Odin Lloyd. Hernandez’s defense lawyers said, however, that the prosecution’s case wasn’t strong enough to hold the former Patriots tight end without bail. The judge disagreed, citing a “strong circumstantial case” against him.
Hernandez will now be held at the Bristol County House of Correction and Jail until his next court date -- currently set to be a probable cause hearing on July 24, though other appeals could cause that date to change.
The probable cause hearing requires the prosecutor to prove a crime was committed, and that there is probable cause that the defendant committed the crime. It operates like a miniature version of the trial, with the chance for evidence and witnesses to be presented. If the judge finds probable cause, the case will then be turned over to a grand jury for an official indictment.
Prosecutors could seek to get Hernandez back in court before that date by seeking a grand jury hearing to press for a formal indictment, according to a report from USA Today. That could happen in the next two or three weeks, if the prosecution pursues that route.
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