<p>figured this was thread-worthy, though I am speechless so I have no other comment</p>
<p>… although at least the Pats released him as soon as he was arrested (and before they knew the charges, since it was kept super secret quiet until the arraignment).</p>
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<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/sports/football/patriots-aaron-hernandez-arrested.html?_r=0[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/sports/football/patriots-aaron-hernandez-arrested.html?_r=0</a></p>
<p>They were supposedly friends.</p>
<p>Cops in Mass surely love the limelight and the media attention.</p>
<p>What would you have had them do differently, xiggi? Pretty smart to keep it quiet, especially since its murder. They brought him to the courthouse in one local police car, no lights or sirens. They took him out of his house in cuffs because, yes, it’s a murder charge. They spent over a week investigating, to make sure they got it right (their case). </p>
<p>Watching the arraignment, they have some pretty damning evidence (including apparently a witness plus victim’s texts, since he suspected he was in trouble, and pretty concise cell phone tracking).</p>
<p>Hernandez had just signed a $40 million contract.</p>
<p>If you ask me, it’s the media that goes nutso. Over and over again.</p>
<p>It’s a first degree murder charge. Ordered held without bail.</p>
<p>xiggi,</p>
<p>That’s a wholly unfair remark. Among other things, the arrest was made early in the morning on a week day. The media turned all this into a media circus and as far as I can see, the local cops did all they could to keep the arrest as low profile as possible. The cops who arrested him were wearing plain clothes and he was put in an unmarked police car. The murder charge was not announced until after the arrest.</p>
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<p>What does that arrogant remark mean???</p>
<p>xiggi seems to have disdain for all things Massachusetts (read some other threads).</p>
<p>I wonder what’s going on with the other participants, because clearly there were some. It seems to have been a coordinated, planned murder of one of his good friends. The poor guy knew he was in trouble riding in that car in the middle of the night with Hernandez and others (text to sister making sure she knew who he was with). According to the prosecution.</p>
<p>Yikes.</p>
<p>The only thing not revealed was whether the other guys have turned on Hernandez. It would be normal to charge everyone at the same time. Not unheard of to charge people on different days but not typical.</p>
<p>^^ it appears someone has been talking, since the prosecuter laid out a scenario which included conversations that went on in the Hernandez home and in the car on the way to the murder scene.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a Hernandez “associate” (that whole terminology is bizarre on its own) has been arrested in Bristol, CT (Hernandez hometown) on a fugitive from justice charge. </p>
<p>More to come, I’m sure.</p>
<p>Does Massachusetts have the death penalty? I’m not saying it should or shouldn’t be used, but I would just like to know.</p>
<p>^^ No. (are you kidding, liberal Massachusetts)?! </p>
<p>First degree murder convictions are automatic life in prison with no possibility of parole, however. (Less murder convictions have varying sentence guidelines).</p>
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<p>Trust your own eyes – not my word. So much for an unmarked car. Is that 32 part of an unmarked car. </p>
<p>[Defense</a> attorney: Aaron Hernandez arrest a ‘big show’ - NFL.com](<a href=“http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000214827/article/defense-attorney-aaron-hernandez-arrest-a-big-show]Defense”>Defense attorney: Aaron Hernandez arrest a 'big show')</p>
<p>And can you see the media trucks?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/06/26/aaron-hernandez-handcuffed-police-custody/2458991/[/url]”>http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/06/26/aaron-hernandez-handcuffed-police-custody/2458991/</a></p>
<p>^ "“If it was simply an obstruction (of justice) charge, one would have called his lawyers, and said, 'Look, bring him to the courthouse, surrender him at 9:30 a.m., we’ll have an advisement, we’ll set bond immediately,” Steinberg said. “But instead, they sent (nine) officers over in suits, they had a couple cruisers, and they drove him away, and they made a big show. Now, that’s a little unusual for a charge that’s not that serious – I mean it’s a serious charge, but nowhere as serious as a murder case.”</p>
<p>Well, it turned out to be a first degree murder charge… </p>
<p>I don’t think the cops were making a spectacle. The story had been developing and suspicion building for a week.</p>
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<p>Haha, good sleuthing, Sherlock! I am happy to see you read “some” of my other posts. If you are making a reference to what I think of the media and police forces around Boston, I am happy to plead guilty. And make no apologies for what I wrote about their performance during the attempts to arrest the bombing terrorists. </p>
<p>And, fwiw, I seriously doubt you were making a reference to the police action during the Skip Gates arrest. </p>
<p>I call it as I see it. And I did not comment on the actual charges, but on the arrest and the presence of the media. Same old story of leaking the juicy stuff to the press. More backslapping to come and congrats from the Governor and Mayor are probably coming!</p>
<p>Cutting him frees up money under the salary cap, but I can’t figure out how much they have to pay him under his contract. I suspect much of it will go to his attorneys. </p>
<p>I don’t know what it was, but I never liked him when I watched him play. He was obviously an exceptional athlete but something about him bugged me. Maybe it was the tats, I don’t know.</p>
<p>I think they have to still pay him about a million and a half over the next year. (while he sits in jail).</p>
<p>Boy, if even half of what the prosecutor says is true, he sure is one dumb criminal.</p>
<p>P.S. I wasn’t sleuthing xiggi, I have read some of your comments on (several other) previous threads (before) and was answering other posters who wondered what your problem is. Why are the constant media trucks parked outside his home for more than a week now hoping to capture exactly that anything other than, umm, the media’s problem? How exactly is that due to Massachusetts’ law enforcement officers attempting to draw attention to themselves? Do you believe someone charged with first degree murder should NOT be taken from his/her home in handcuffs? Should they have gone out the back door to protect his privacy? You do not believe he should have been treated just as any other murder suspect? You’ve got a bee in your bonnet about this for some reason; maybe you should start another new thread about it.</p>
<p>The media has been camped at his house 24x7 since the body was found. They’ve had helicopters following every car that came and went to the house.</p>
<p>There is no way the media wouldn’t have been present at his arrest.</p>
<p>By not waiting for a conviction before releasing him and voiding his contract, the Pats may have actually seriously hurt themselves cap-wise if they can’t recover any of his bonus. If not, they take a $7.5 mil hit next year.</p>
<p>[Patriots’</a>; release of Aaron Hernandez has significant salary cap, financial ramifications](<a href=“NFL National Football League News, Expert Analysis, Rumors, Live Updates, & more - Yahoo Sports”>NFL National Football League News, Expert Analysis, Rumors, Live Updates, & more - Yahoo Sports)</p>
<p>It’s a pretty sad story. He seemingly had escaped his hard upbringing, had a baby, was engaged to get married, etc, and he has blown it all over something stupid.</p>