Aaron Hernandez's Appeal For Bail Has Been Denied

A superior court judge denied bail for Aaron Hernandez during an appeal hearing this afternoon in Fall River, Mass. The former Patriots star must remain in jail pending the outcome of his forthcoming murder case.

James L. Sultan, one of Hernandez's lawyers, argued before Judge Renee P. Dupuis that Hernandez deserved to be released because Hernandez's fame indicated he was not a flight risk. Sultan also argued that Hernandez had no prior criminal record, was gainfully employed (well, until yesterday), and a homeowner with a fiancée and an 8-month-old child. Sultan sought terms of "high-cash bail" plus some sort of monitoring device or even house arrest, either of which would have allowed authorities to keep tabs on Hernandez.

Judge Dupuis, however, said that the prosecution has already laid out "a very, very strong circumstantial case" that ties Hernandez to the murder of Odin Lloyd. Dupuis also noted that Hernandez has the means to flee, and that because he is not accused of engaging in a crime of passion, she felt he was not fit to remain free, even with a monitoring device.

William McCauley, the assistant district attorney for Bristol County, told the judge that a search warrant had been executed yesterday at a condo leased by Hernandez, and that three boxes of .45-caliber ammunition were found. Police had previously discovered shell casings from a .45-caliber semiautomatic weapon at the crime scene.