Jerry Sandusky Trial Still Waits for Strong Defense - East Idaho News
National

Jerry Sandusky Trial Still Waits for Strong Defense

  Published at

Getty 060512 JerrySandusky?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1340113072820Patrick Smith/Getty Images(BELLEFONTE, Pa.) — The defense team for Jerry Sandusky on Tuesday will have its second chance to cast doubt on the 51 charges of child sex abuse facing the former Penn State football coach, as the jury waits to see whether Sandusky’s attorneys can pack a bigger punch than the string of character witnesses presented so far.

Testimony ended abruptly Monday when Judge John Cleland told the jury that “technical issues” with the witnesses would prevent court from continuing.  He did not elaborate on the issues, but said that more witnesses would be called on Tuesday, and the defense would likely rest its case by Wednesday morning.  The jury of seven women and five men could be handed the case by Thursday.

While the defense prepares its second day of witnesses, the prosecution is reportedly considering submitting an unedited transcript of an interview Sandusky gave to NBC, part of which was played in court for the jury.  The transcript, however, includes part of the interview that was not aired on NBC, in which Sandusky says he did not seek out “every young person for sexual needs that I’ve helped. There are many that I didn’t have — I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways.”

The prosecution has not submitted a motion on the matter.

On Tuesday, the defense may call Sandusky, his wife Dottie and son Matt, as well as psychological experts to testify on the coach’s behalf.

They may also submit evidence including phone records of accusers calling one another in an effort to help prove that the men are colluding to make money off of the case.  Amendola has hinted that he has evidence and witnesses to prove that some of the men have made comments about getting rich, but so far his witnesses have only included former colleagues from the Penn State coaching staff and from the Second Mile charity testifying to Sandusky’s character.

Amendola also suggested during the first week of testimony that the defense would present an expert witness who would diagnose Sandusky’s behavior as histrionic personality disorder, a condition which causes people to act out in attention-seeking ways, and use the disorder to help explain some of his overly affectionate behavior described by his accusers.

The judge, however, ruled last week that if Amendola were presenting an expert witness, the prosecution would also have the chance to present a psychologist who could explain Sandusky’s behavior in other ways. Sandusky reportedly was evaluated by a prosecution psychologist on Sunday.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION