A judge has rejected a request from Aaron Hernandez’s attorneys to dismiss the charges in the murder case of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd.
According to the Boston Globe, on Thursday, Bristol Superior Court Judge E. Susan Garsh rejected the defense’s motion that their client had been wrongly accused of the murder.
The ex-Patriot’s lawyers argued that the prosecution hadn't shown probable cause to sustain the murder charge of Lloyd, who was found shot to death near Hernandez’s home last year. However, in her ruling Garsh wrote, “the grand jury heard sufficient evidence to establish probable cause that Hernandez intentionally participated in some meaningful way in the commission of the offense."
Hernandez has been incarcerated since June 26, 2013 while he awaits trial for the killing of Lloyd.
The victim was reportedly dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée at the time of his death.
In addition to the Lloyd case, the former NFL tight end has also been charged for the shooting deaths of two men outside a Boston nightclub in 2012. The 24-year-old has plead not guilty to all three murder charges against him.
His trail is set to begin in January.