ABATEMENT

UPDATE – Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Finds Doctrine of Abatement Ab Initio Outdated, Reinstates Aaron Hernandez’s Conviction

By Monica Delateur

On April 19, 2017, former New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez committed suicide at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center outside of Boston, Massachusetts.  At the time of Hernandez’s death, the appeal of Hernandez’s conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd was pending in front of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. This high-profile suicide sparked a debate around the doctrine of abatement ab initio, applied in Massachusetts as well as a number of states at the time of Hernandez’s death . . .

What is abatement and why is everyone in MA talking about it? (Updated February 7, 2018)

By Monica Delateur

With the discussion surrounding Aaron Hernandez’s conviction, acquittals, and suicide, are you wondering why there is also a discussion of abatement? Though not necessarily a new legal development, abatement could allow Hernandez’s conviction to be avoided. Read on for a quick summary . . .