Suffolk judge agrees to delay Aaron Hernandez murder trial

A Suffolk Superior Court judge has agreed to delay the murder trial of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who will first face a separate murder trial in Bristol County.

Hernandez is accused of shooting Odin L. Lloyd, and his trial in Bristol, Mass. is expected to begin Jan. 9. The case in Suffolk had been scheduled to begin May 28.

Hernandez's lawyers argued that the Bristol case could take longer than expected - a pool of 1,500 prospective jurors will need to be narrowed down to 16, and the prosecution has listed more than 300 witnesses.

“If (prosecutors) really call all those people, we’re going to be in Bristol for two or three months,” said Charles Rankin, one of Hernandez’s lawyers, according to the The Boston Globe. “That would make it impossible for us to be ready by May 28.”

Judge Jeffrey Locke agreed that all that the attention needed for the Bristol case will make it difficult for Hernandez's defense team to give the Suffolk case the attention it requires, commenting that the motion wasn't unreasonable.

Locke declined to provide a specific date should the trial in Bristol end sooner than expected, but Rankin asked for a November 2015 trial date.

Locke added that the trial could begin as early as August or September if the Bristol trial ends quickly.