Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez was seen laughing and smiling in court on Tuesday as his legal team attempted to suppress key evidence in his murder trial. The 24-year-old former New England Patriots player did not address the court during the proceedings.
Hernandez's lawyers are seeking to have evidence from his mobile phone thrown out, arguing it was seized under a 'false claim of legal authority'. The phone allegedly shows Hernandez was in contact with Odin Lloyd, the man he is accused of murdering, in the days before Lloyd was shot dead in June 2013.
Prosecutors claim Hernandez and Lloyd exchanged text messages arranging a meeting on the night of the killing. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg testified that Hernandez initially agreed to turn over the phone but later gave it to his lawyers, who now challenge the legality of the seizure.
This is not the first time Hernandez has been seen laughing in court; he did the same when his trial date was set in June. Hernandez also faces separate murder charges for the deaths of two Boston men in 2012, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
