Originally Posted by
Bluehorseshoe
The mother of a semi-pro football player who was murdered by disgraced former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has fallen on hard times and may lose her home, according to her attorney who is fighting to have the former tight end pay the grieving woman for her loss.
“She is suffering significant hardship. Her son was killed three years ago and she no longer has his support and care like she always had,” said Doug Sheff, a civil attorney representing Ursula Ward in her wrongful death suit during a hearing yesterday. “Now she’s in dire straits and she’s in danger of losing her home.”
Ward’s son, Odin L. Lloyd, was murdered by Hernandez in a North Attleboro industrial lot on June 17, 2013. A jury found Hernandez guilty of first-degree murder in April 2015, and yesterday Sheff asked Superior Court Judge Renee P. Dupuis to grant summary judgment and find the former Pro Bowler responsible for Lloyd’s death so that he can begin the next step — calculating how much Ward is owed.
“With all of the attention being drawn to the criminal case involving Mr. Hernandez, it’s easy to forget the survivors of the victims, like Ms. Ward and her family,” Sheff said during a hearing at the Bristol County Superior Court in North Attleboro.
But Hernandez’s attorney said it’s too soon for Dupuis to make that call, citing the fact that the murder conviction is being appealed and the former football star has a double-murder trial set to start in March.
“A primary concern of mine is to not cause detriment to my client’s ongoing defense,” said John Fitzpatrick, Hernandez’s attorney in the wrongful death suit.
But Sheff struck back, arguing that waiting for Hernandez’s cases to wind through the criminal justice system could continue to harm Ward.
“There needs to be some finality to the process,” Sheff said. “The criminal system might go on forever with this defendant. It has to have an ending somewhere, which is why I think it’s wise to rule on this now.”
Dupuis declined to rule on the motion yesterday, opting instead to mull it over.
Sheff said Hernandez has assets that can go to Ward — including a Hummer and the North Attleboro home he returned to after executing Lloyd. Sheff added the sprawling mansion is falling into disrepair.
He was also frustrated with the amount of money Hernandez is spending on attorneys.
In addition to his lawyer for the wrongful death suit, Hernandez has also assembled a new, high-profile team of attorneys to defend him against murder charges stemming from a 2012 South End double-homicide.