Aaron Hernandez's trial for 2012 double murder delayed

A Massachusetts judge has agreed to delay Aaron Hernandez's trial for a 2012 double murder in order to allow his defense team to focus on preparing for Hernandez's trial for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.

A Massachusetts judge has agreed to delay Aaron Hernandez's trial for a 2012 double murder in order to allow his defense team to focus on preparing for Hernandez's trial for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.

Hernandez is accused of killing Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado after one of the men spilled a drink on him at a Boston nightclub in June 2012. Prosecutors say Hernandez fired a gun at the men's car while it was stopped at a light, killing them and injuring a third man. The case was originally scheduled to go to trial in May. 

According to the Associated Press, Hernandez's legal team asked the judge to delay the trial by six months. The lawyers say they are reviewing 500,000 pages of evidence and going over the 300-plus names on the state's witness list. The judge granted the request but declined to set a new date, instead choosing to wait until the first trial is concluded to set a date for the second. 

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The former Patriots tight end has already pleaded not guilty to a charge of first degree murder in the Lloyd case. Jury selection for that trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 9.

- Dan Gartland