About 90 minutes after former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, Bristol County (Mass.) District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter addressed the media.

"For those of you in the courtroom and heard the presentation by first assistant William McCauley, he detailed the facts that we assert concerning this investigation in the case against Mr. Hernandez," Sutter said after court proceedings televised by WBZ-TV in Boston. "That is now a matter of public record.

"I, however, can not comment further about what was said in court," Sutter continued. "I can not comment, for example, about the nature of the case against Mr. Hernandez. I am precluded from doing this now by three compelling reasons. First, is the order which Judge O'Shea just delivered. It applies to this case while it is pending in Attleboro District Court. Second, the judge's order was essentially that neither side -- prosecution or defense -- can publicly comment about the case at this time. The rules of professional responsibility are clear about the limitations about me as the District Attorney, any prosecutor affiliated with my office, about our ability to comment on a pending case in any way, which would materially affect the fairness of the proceeding.

"And finally, another strong reason why I'm constrained: The reality is, that this case is still an ongoing investigation, and invariably, it is in the best interest of an ongoing investigation for the District Attorney's office not to comment."

Hernandez's attorney, Michael Fee, who requested the gag order during Wednesday's arraignment, issued a statement Monday night ripping the media for a flood of false reports. He spoke briefly with the media on Wednesday outside the Attleboro Courthouse after Hernandez had been charged.

"Out of respect to that process, the defense team can not comment today on this case," Fee said. "We will be pursuing it in court. But we look forward to our day in court."

When asked how Hernandez was doing, Fee responded: "Aaron's fine."

Ten months ago, the Patriots signed Hernandez to a $40-million contract extension, including $16 million in guaranteed money. CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reports the Patriots can try to recoup the signing bonus and other money that they have already paid Hernandez, pending what happens to him legally. Regarding the salary cap, because it's post-June 1, Hernandez still counts roughly $4 million against the Patriots' cap, but the organization could get cap credits in the future.

Here's what Hernandez said last August about the organization's faith in him.

"This is a place that, not only did it change my future from them paying me, but it changed me as a person," Hernandez told Comcast Sportsnet, "because you can't come [to the Patriots] and act reckless and do your own stuff. That was one of the reasons that I came here -- might've acted the way I wanted to act. But you get changed by Bill Belichick's way. And you get changed by the Patriots way. And now that I'm a Patriot, I have to start living like one and making the right decisions for them."

On Wednesday, the Patriots released Hernandez, who now faces a murder charge.

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