No news was no news on Monday from the Aaron Hernandez trial, with the jury not reaching a verdict in the fifth full day of deliberations.
Actually, there was some news. The jurors want smoke breaks. And they’ll get smoke breaks. Which could help keep any tensions under control.
Per the Associated Press, the jury has deliberated more than 27 hours since last Tuesday afternoon. Hernandez faces first- and second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of Odin Lloyd, along with a firearms and ammunition charges.
The longer the process takes, the greater the likelihood of a hung jury. But the first hint of a problem has yet to emerge -- the jury asking the judge via a note, “What happens if we can’t make a decision?”