@AP21
AKA meme buster
looks to be true
In the eyes of the state of Massachusetts, the death of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez could make him an innocent man, thanks to a legal principle called “abatement ab initio,” said Martin W. Healy, chief legal counsel to the Massachusetts Bar Association.
Although Hernandez was convicted in 2015 of murdering Odin L. Lloyd of Boston, Hernandez’s appeal was not complete. Abatement ab initio means “from the beginning,” Healy said, and it means that upon a person’s death, if they have not exhausted their legal appeals, their case reverts to its status at the beginning — it’s as if the trial and conviction never happened.
“Unfortunately, in the Odin Lloyd matter, for the family, there won’t be any real closure,” said Healy. “Aaron Hernandez will go to his death an innocent man.”
Hernandez’s appellate attorney, John M. Thompson, said in a telephone interview Wednesday that he will file the appropriate paperwork once a death certificate is available. Thompson, who would not discuss his interactions with Hernandez, called his death “totally unexpected.’’
Might not be $15M, but his estate looks to still get some money from NE
http://nypost.com/2017/04/20/patriots-now-might-owe-aaron-hernandez-millions/