Written by :
Published on :
Ask anyone outside of New England, and they’re pretty sure Aaron Hernandez “did it.” Convicted in the media long before he ever had his day in court, the former NFL star’s legal team seems to have just shifted to an interesting tactic in trying to get their client off. Nothing.
After nearly 40 days of a prosecutorial barrage that seemed intent on locking Hernandez up and throwing away the key, his legal team has yet to present anything resembling an alibi, no evidence of his innocence and very little in the way of argument denying the former Patriots player killed Odin Lloyd in 2013. Anyone who watches TV cop shows can tell you they don’t have to mount a defense. After all, technically, all alleged criminals are “innocent” until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That being said, defense teams often employ tactics that include…actually offering a defense.
Instead, according to reports, the defense will state the Commonwealth failed to meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. At least, that’s the current story. Hernandez’s legal team is expected to rest their – and his – hopes on closing arguments, claiming the prosecution’s story has bupkis in the way of incriminating evidence.
Of course, when you look at the evidence, the logic behind the strategy becomes a bit clearer. See, there’s a reason the media had Hernandez convicted before opening statements in the case. The prosecution has DNA evidence, surveillance video, phone records, tire tracks and a host of other incriminating evidence tying Hernandez to the crime. They have Hernandez at the scene of the murder and at the scene where detectives found the body. Further, media reports indicate five shell casings were found at the scene. The sixth matching shell casing was found in Hernandez’s rental car.
So…the defense can’t pretend Hernandez wasn’t at the scene. That leaves them with only one potential winning argument. The prosecution has no evidence placing the murder weapon – which has not been recovered – in the hands of their client. It’s thin, but it’s all they’ve got.
Either way, most of the public has little trouble seeing that still-missing gun and believing Hernandez pulled the trigger. Win or lose, any crisis PR firm would have a long way to go to repair his reputation.
Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a top 20 independent Public Relations company.
