Judge Vacates Aaron Hernandez Conviction

[bbobbo]

So now every criminal in jail can kill himself while their case is pending appeal? Sorry i don't buy this. The appeals court would not have looked at the case de novo, so the guilty verdict should stand until overturned.

seems like a rather extreme way of getting a conviction vacated. somehow i don't think this is going to become a popular legal maneuver.
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[XLIX]

Given the publicity here, I wouldn't be surprised to see the state change this archaic law. At the very least, consider the act of suicide as officially relinquishing appeal rights.

 

[Kontradiction]

I dunno, stop and frisk, civil asset forfeiture, and allegedly there's some funky stuff going on with people detained without ever getting a trial. No fly list certainly isn't innocent until proven.

Oh, okay. I wasn't aware you were expanding the criteria. I was just thinking about cases like this one and in the Zimmerman trial, etc. In that case, I would agree. Americans are all too ready to hand over some of their civil liberties in the name of security.

 

[chasa]

Innocent until proven guilty. The judge made the right call based on the law.

Don't you mean: Innocent Until proven guilty, after which you can be like "Cmon you found me guilty, but lets take a second look! PLEASEEEEEE" alright we can take a brief second look if you have some new evid... **** he killed himself didn't he, fine i guess all that evidence that a jury of his peers decided was enough to convict him is invalid now.

 

[DaBruinz]

Guys like what? The Pats didn't have any reason not to think he was a model citizen when they drafted him. Sure, there were some rumors and whatnot but nothing provable.

Not sure where you got your information from but it's not true.. There were more than just rumors about Hernandez. It took him sending a letter guaranteeing that he'd be a model citizen for them to consider him. There was specific language in his rookie contract about behavior standards..

 

[chasa]

So say someone goes on a rampage, like those columbine kids, all of which died during the event, they are all innocent right? Didn't get a chance to defend themselves in court?

This law is ****ing disgusting.

Going to be a hell of a TV movie/Mini series though.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Friggan Commonwealth.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Hernandez was nothing but a stupid recommendation from urban meyer along with the failed brandon spikes experiment. I'm glad we are staying away from the ohio state pipeline.

 

[BobDigital]

seems like a rather extreme way of getting a conviction vacated. somehow i don't think this is going to become a popular legal maneuver.
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I was thinking of saying this but you beat me to it.

 

[PatsDeb]

The judge had no choice. MA is to blame for not changing its laws when this has happened before.

 

[BobDigital]

Aaron Hernandez killed a Coward.....Himself

I am not trying to get on you for this. It is just something i notice. We tend to call people cowards particularly people who commit terrible crimes like terrorism or murder.

I just don't see a point of doing it. There is nothing really cowardly in Hernandez's action of suicide. If anything it could be termed brave potentially (dying when you could live to benefit someone you care about). Doesn't change the fact he is a murdering scum bag.

Vile people can be brave and good people can be cowards. I don't see why we as a society throw around the term so much when it might not automatically apply is all.

 

[DaBruinz]

This idea that someone gets convicted of murder and then can kill himself and he's somehow made innocent is ridiculous.. Personally, abatement ab initio shouldn't be allowed in the case where the convict commits suicide.. Just like Suicide isn't a way for a person's family to collect on a life insurance policy..

 

[Thelonious]

We can comfort ourselves with the thought that at least the subhuman scum is dead and cannot enjoy his "good fortune."

As for the contemporary judicial: worse than useless. Impeach 'em all, and good riddance.

 

[DaBruinz]

The judge had no choice. MA is to blame for not changing its laws when this has happened before.

Not true. The judge does have a choice. It is not mandatory. That is why they have the hearing allowing both sides to speak prior to the judgement.

 

[DaBruinz]

We can comfort ourselves with the thought that at least the subhuman scum is dead and cannot enjoy his "good fortune."

As for the contemporary judicial: worse than useless. Impeach 'em all, and good riddance.

This law is actually very old.. It's not like it's a new one.. I believe it was passed in Massachusetts back in the late 1800s

 

[Thelonious]

Still angry at the wasted football potential. I don't care for any of them personally, and I am pleased NE moved on from his ASAP. Was the right call.

But : AH was an exceptional football player that would have surely continued an upward arc. Wasted it. And ruined lives along the way.

Under the circumstances, I couldn't possibly care less about his "football potential." Doing so is like lamenting the death of Hitler because you think he had a nice hairdo. Idiocy.

 

[mosslost]

This is also a Federal statute and many other states have this law as well. The only way around it is to get the law changed.

(For the record, I think it's BS too).

The question is "are we proven guilty upon first conviction" if we are allowed to appeal? It is an interesting question that I am sure has a legal answer. If the answer is "yes" and the appeal just has the potential to "un-convict" us ... then the law is total ****e. If however, we are still constitutionally considered innocent until proven guilty, it is a good law... Does anyone actually know?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

But he was found guilty. This ruling isn't based on him not having a trial, it's based on the fact he didn't exhaust his appeals, which probably stood zero chance of being heard.

Not even close to "zero chance of being heard". The first level of appeals in federal court and I'm pretty sure also in MA court is non-discretionary. If you appeal the first level appeals court has to hear it.

 

[Tuck]

So who's the final arbiter for this situation again?

 

[archstanton543]

Friggan Commonwealth.

Friggen just about everywhere in the US.