A Superior Court judge has declined to issue a gag order against prosecutors in the Aaron Hernandez double-murder case.
The former New England Patriots tight end is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the 2012 drive-by slayings of Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu outside a downtown Boston nightclub.
Hernandez is also charged in the June 2013 killing of one-time associate Odin Lloyd and attorneys representing him in the Boston shooting had sought a gag order against prosecutors in the case, arguing that the multiple charges against Hernandez "had generated media coverage that is virtually unprecedented in the history of the Commonwealth."
According to the BostonGlobe.com, in rendering his decision, Judge Jeffrey Locke ruled he saw no evidence that Suffolk County prosecutors had violated any ethical rules by leaking information about Hernandez.
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"The Court is satisfied that the Suffolk County District Attorney's office is aware of and operates consistent with the restrictions imposed by the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct, rendering a detailed order regarding extrajudicial statements unnecessary at this time,'' he wrote.
Hernandez remains jailed and held without bail at the Bristol County Jail on first-degree murder charges in the Lloyd killing. Police have speculated he may have killed Lloyd because of his knowledge of other violent crimes he is suspected of being involved in.
Both Furtado and Abreu died in a hail of bullets following an early-morning shooting police said was sparked by one of the men accidentally spilling a drink on Hernandez and not apologizing.
In denying Hernandez's request for a gag order, Locke also wrote "in the end, the thousands of news stories and pervasive media coverage related to this case reflect Hernandez's celebrity status as a former successful NFL player, who has now been indicted for three counts of first-degree murder; the plethora of stories are not the result of leaks orchestrated by attorneys or law enforcement officers."
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