Aaron Hernandez Murder Conviction Vacated

FALL RIVER, MA — Aaron Hernandez, a high school football star in Bristol, Connecticut who went on to college All-American honors and National Football League stardom before running afoul of the law, has had his 2013 murder conviction vacated in Bristol County, Massachusetts.

A Bristol Superior Court judge chose to abate Hernandez's murder conviction for the killing of Odin Lloyd, vacating the conviction and making as if the trial that determined his guilt never happened.

Hernandez's legal team has been fighting to vacate the conviction since his suicide on April 19. State law indicates that convictions in the appeals process can be vacated if the convicted person dies before the process ends.

"The interests of justice do not warrant a departure from the doctrine of abatement," Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh said in her ruling. "There being no reason to recognize any exception in this case, in the interest of justice, the court has no choice but to abate the proceeding by vacating Aaron Hernandez's convictions and dismissing the charges against him and his appeal."

John Thompson, an attorney for the former New England Patriots tight end, said that the vacation rule applies to the case, and the manner of death should not be considered.

Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg countered that vacating a conviction due to death is a practice and not a right. He also referred to an interview with an inmate who indicated that Hernandez mentioned being aware that his conviction could be vacated if he hanged himself.

Thompson questioned the words of the inmate, referring to it as hearsay.

Following the ruling, Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn III said his office will file an appeal to the state's Supreme Judicial Court. Outside the courthouse, Quinn called the abatement law, "the most antiquated law in the country."

"It flies in the face of common sense and basic fairness," Quinn said. "(Hernandez) should not accomplish in death what he couldn't accomplish in life."

Ursula Ward, the mother of Lloyd, said she is not angry with the result of the hearing.

"In our book, he’s guilty and he’s going to always be guilty. But I know one day I’m going to see my son and that’s a victory that I have that I’m going to take with me," Ward said.

Hernandez, who starred at Bristol Central High School and the University of Florida before being drafted by the Patriots in 2010, was serving a life sentence without possibility of parole for the 2013 murder of Lloyd when he hanged himself in his prison cell. The suicide came days after he was found not guilty of a 2012 Boston double murder.

Written by Daniel Libon (Patch Staff)

Photo credit: AP/Stephan Savoia, Pool, File