Aaron Hernandez's Mansion Seized Pending Wrongful Death Suit
Former Patriot and accused murderer Aaron Hernandez had his mansion seized by the courts on Thursday as part of an pending wrongful death lawsuit.
The ex-athlete's home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, now has a judicial hold on it, preventing Hernandez from selling the $1.26 million property, reports The Boston Globe. The court order stems from a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Odin Lloyd, the 27-year-old man Hernandez is charged with killing.
Does this leave Hernandez homeless?
Hernandez's House Under Judicial Hold
The former New England Patriots tight end was indicted for Lloyd's murder back in August, and has been in and out of court since then as prosecutors and Hernandez's attorneys prepare for trial.
The most recent visit before Judge Richard T. Moses involved a request by Lloyd's family to block Hernandez from selling any assets or receiving any payments which might be awarded to them as part of a wrongful death suit for Odin's killing.
The Lloyds filed a wrongful death suit against Hernandez on Monday, claiming an unspecified amount of damages. Following the civil suit, Judge Moses put a hold on Hernandez's million dollar home, prohibiting its sale while the wrongful death case unfolds, reports the Globe.
Judge Moses agreed to rehear the issue once Hernandez retained separate counsel for his civil trial, but generally, assets and property of a defendant awaiting trial can be frozen.
Patriots Claim They Don't Owe Hernandez
In addition to his home, Hernandez is likely to be stiffed the $3.25 million the NFL Players Association argues that he is owed, reports the Globe. Like his home, the Lloyds' suit seeks to block Hernandez from getting access to his Patriots salary, claiming it will be subject to the judgment in their wrongful death suit.
Professional athletes who have their salaries blocked because of legal troubles -- like the notorious A-Rod -- have union representatives from players' unions to fight for their unpaid wages. So this may have been an active issue between the NFL Players' Association, the Patriots, and the Lloyds... if not for an agreement.
On Thursday, attorneys for the Patriots and the Lloyds confirmed that they had reached an agreement to not pay the former player "any additional funds" in exchange from being dropped as a defendant from the family's lawsuit, reports the Globe.
It looks like Hernandez may be cut off until his trial has concluded.
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Related Resources:
- Aaron Hernandez faces lawsuit(ESPN)
- Aaron Hernandez Arrested, Charged With Murder (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Dolphins' Mike Pouncey Subpoenaed in Aaron Hernandez Case (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Patriots' Aaron Hernandez Sued as Homicide Investigation Continues (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)