Aaron Hernandez's Attorneys Concerned About 'Stealth Jurors'
BOSTON (CBS/AP) - Lawyers for accused killer Aaron Hernandez say "stealth jurors" may lie in order to win a seat on the jury in his upcoming trial, hoping it will lead to a book or movie deal.
In court documents filed Friday from the Bristol Superior Court Clerk's Office in Fall River, Hernandez's attorneys say there has been an unprecedented amount of sensational pre-trial publicity, so they want the right to question jurors individually during jury selection, instead of leaving that solely to the judge.
They also want to question potential jurors individually, away from the media.
The defense also wants to be able to reject, without offering any explanation, up to 30 prospective jurors before the final pool is set.
They're concerned about so-called "stealth jurors," those who might lie to get on the jury in hopes of a future book or movie deal.
"(In) criminal prosecutions involving celebrities or prominent person, one must contemplate the possibility that one or more members of the venire may harbor illicit intentions and try assiduously - even lie - to become a juror thinking that it will bring them fame or simply thrills," Hernandez's attorneys wrote in the documents, which were made public Monday.
"This behavior has become so commonplace, it has been given the name "Stealth Juror."
Hernandez, a former New England Patriots tight end, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd.
Jury selection in that trial is scheduled to start January 9 in Fall River. Patriots coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft have been listed by prosecutors as possible witnesses.
Hernandez has also pleaded not guilty to the fatal shootings of two men in 2012 after an encounter at a Boston nightclub.
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