Judge denies Sandusky bid for new trial
Ruling lets stand convictions on child sex abuse
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Jerry Sandusky lost a bid Wednesday for a new trial and a second chance to convince a jury he is not guilty of the child sexual abuse charges that landed him in state prison to serve a lengthy sentence.
Judge John Foradora denied Sandusky’s requests for a new trial or for dismissal of charges.
The former Penn State assistant football coach’s lawyers said they were disappointed and planned to appeal.
“The court’s decision is not the end of Jerry’s case, it is only the closing of a chapter which we need to go through in the course of our endeavor to obtain a new trial, a reversal of his conviction, and ultimately his release and vindication,” said defense attorney Al Lindsay.
Sandusky, 73, has consistently maintained he was wrongly convicted. He argued that he did not receive adequate representation at his 2012 trial and that prosecutors should have disclosed more details about changes to victims’ stories.
“Although he was denied access to the victims’ psychological records, Sandusky was permitted to call witnesses to explore whether the victims had undergone repressed memory therapy prior to trial, and he did explore that subject” with victims and other witnesses, Foradora wrote.
Foradora also rejected arguments that Sandusky’s lawyers should not have let him waive a preliminary hearing, should not have allowed him to give a television interview after his arrest, and should have done more to challenge the identity of a young man described as Victim 2.
The judge said the bulk of Sandusky’s claims lacked merit.