Judge Begins Excusing People From Aaron Hernandez Jury Pool
FALL RIVER (CBS) - The first potential jurors were excused from serving in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial Friday, as Judge Susan Garsh and attorneys worked on narrowing down the pool.
"I would have liked to have been on, for the experience," said retired telephone company worker Kevin O'Connell, from Fairhaven, after he was excused. He said when he was called in, he knew it might be for the former Patriots star's case. "I had a sneaking suspicion."
Another excused juror, a man who didn't want to be identified, admitted he had heard a lot about the notorious case. "People that tell you they don't know about it, they're lying, unless you live under a rock.," the excused juror said. He said it would not have stopped him from being a fair and impartial juror.
Judge Susan Garsh questioned jurors in sidebar, out of earshot of those in the court gallery. Jurors were called one-by-one in a huddle with attorneys and Hernandez standing right beside them.
"I don't look up to people like that. I don't idolize people like that," said the excused juror.
Relatives of Odin Lloyd, the Dorchester man Hernandez is accused of shooting to death, were also in court to watch the process.
