Witness: Sandusky abused on campus, in saunas**TRIAL THREAD**

[apples]

Sandusky case: Troopers asked if they coached witnesses

BELLEFONTE, Pa. – The defense attorney for Jerry Sandusky on Tuesday closely questioned two Pennsylvania state police investigators about whether they coached some of the alleged victims of the former assistant football coach at Penn State to provide damaging details about Sandusky's behavior with them.

One of the troopers, Cpl. Joseph Leiter, now retired, acknowledged to attorney Joe Amendola that he told some of the alleged victims that they "wouldn't be alone" if they came forward because "there were others." He also said he told one witness in an April 21, 2011, interview that investigators had interviewed as many as nine other alleged vicitms.

"I don't want you to feel ashamed about what happened," Leiter told the alleged victim according to a transcript of the meeting which was read in court. "I don't want him (Sandusky) to take advantage of you … we need you to tell us as graphically as you can about what happened to you. Remember, you are not alone."

Asked by prosecutor Joe McGettigan whether the officer ever told witnesses what to say, Leiter turned to the jury and said "No."

But Amendola later read Leiter portions of the interview transcript in which the investigator told the victim others had reported abuse that progressed to oral sex and rape.

Also on the transcript was a conversation between a lawyer for an alleged victim and Leiter discussing how to get the witness to open up about what had happened to him. At one point while his client is out of the room attorney Ben Andreozzi asked Leiter "can we say at some point in time we have interviewed other kids?"

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-19/sandusky-trial-defense/55686100/1

[apples]

At least 6 accusers spent night in Sandusky home, wife testifies

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Jerry Sandusky's wife told jurors Tuesday that she could remember at least six of her husband's accusers staying overnight at their house. She said she did not witness any sexual abuse.

One of the accusers had once traveled with them to the Alamo Bowl, Dottie Sandusky said, where she and her husband shared a hotel room with the boy.

Many of the accusers testified that they knew Dottie Sandusky, who is not accused of having witnessed sexual abuse.

She testified that children would often sleep at the Sanduskys' house and that "we would give them a choice of where they wanted to sleep."

Her husband was also typically the one to put the children to sleep, she said, telling jurors that "he would go downstairs and tell them good night."                         

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/19/justice/pennsylvania-sandusky-trial/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Stan In FL]

The OJ defense?  What the hell, it worked once

[apples]

Jerry Sandusky Trial: Defense doctor says Sandusky has 'histrionic personality disorder'

(CBS/AP) BELLEFONTE, Pa.- Several more defense witnesses testified Tuesday in the fast-moving child-sex abuse trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Pictures: Child-sex scandal rocks Penn State

Psychologist Eliot Atkins told the court that he conducted a six hour interview of Sandusky, and reviewed materials including the "creepy love letters" Sandusky sent some of his alleged victims and Sandusky's memoir, "Touched."

Based on the interviews and materials, Atkins testified that he diagnosed Sandusky with histrionic personality disorder, which, according to the National Institutes of Health, is a "condition in which people act in a very emotional and dramatic way that draws attention to themselves."

The defense showed excerpts from some of these letter, including one which read, in part: "I write because of the churning in my stomach when you don't care. I still hope there will be meaning to the time we have known each other."

Atkins then testified that, "The letters express his hurt, disappointment and criticism of these people for not getting back what he hoped to get from these relationships."

In addition, the defense called the mother of the young man known as "Victim 1" and questioned her about whether she had ever made remarks about how the allegations her son had levied against Sandusky would lead to a financial windfall. She denied making such statements.

also this is top of page at cbs....Jerry Sandusky not called to testify in abuse trial; Defense rests

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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57456300-504083/jerry-sandusky-trial-defense-doctor-says-sandusky-has-histrionic-personality-disorder/?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel

[apples]

Defense for former Penn State coach Sandusky rests case in sex-abuse trial without calling him to stand

BELLEFONTE, Pa. –  Jerry Sandusky's lawyers finished putting on their case Wednesday without calling the former Penn State assistant football coach to the stand to rebut child sex abuse allegations that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.

The sudden end to the defense's presentation came on the seventh day of the trial, during which the jury heard from eight men -- now 18 to 28 -- who said the former coach sexually assaulted them after they met him through the charity he founded.

Sandusky is charged with 51 criminal counts for alleged abuse of 10 boys over 15 years. He has denied the allegations but acknowledged in interviews following his arrest that he had showered with boys.

The accusers described for jurors a range of sexual abuse at his hands, from allegations of grooming and fondling to oral sex and forced anal sex that one young man said left him injured. The identities of two other alleged victims are unknown to investigators.

The defense has suggested the accusers have financial motivations for their claims and were improperly influenced by investigators. They also put on character witnesses who spoke of Sandusky's sound reputation and his wife, who said her husband didn't do anything inappropriate.

The defense rested after an approximately 40-minute closed-door meeting involving attorneys, Sandusky and the judge overseeing the case. Under Pennsylvania law, a defendant must waive his right to testify on his own behalf, but it doesn't have to happen in open court.

The next step in the trial is closing arguments, set for Thursday morning

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/20/sandusky-could-take-stand-as-testimony-nears-end-in-abuse-trial/?test=latestnews#ixzz1yMZlA7CE

who in their right mind thought he would take the stand? 

[apples]

3 more counts dropped in Sandusky case; closing arguments begin

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Three more criminal counts have been dropped against former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who still faces 48 more in his child rape trial.

The announcement was made Thursday, just before closing arguments began in the high-profile case.

Judge John Cleland told jurors that all three counts pertain to "alleged victim 4," while the defense further petitioned to have all counts related to "alleged victim 8" dismissed as well.

Cleland said one count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse duplicated another charge. Two other counts -- one of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and another of aggravated indecent assault -- were not supported by testimony and the evidence presented, he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/justice/pennsylvania-sandusky-trial/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[apples]

Sandusky case goes to jury

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The child rape case against Jerry Sandusky, who faces accusations of sexual abuse involving 10 alleged victims, is now in the hands of a jury.

Jurors began deliberations Thursday, after a week of testimony but without having heard from the former Penn State defensive coordinator on the witness stand.

During closing arguments, defense attorney Joe Amendola sought to poke holes in the prosecution's case, pointing to inconsistencies with the testimony of Mike McQueary, a former graduate student and assistant coach who said he saw Sandusky apparently sodomizing a boy in a university shower.

He also reminded jurors of the lack of physical evidence and accused the alleged victims of conspiring for financial gain while blaming the media for what he described as biased coverage.

During the arguments, Sandusky's wife, Dottie, was seen quietly crying.

Lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan followed Amendola, rebuffing the defense's account of a coordinated action among Sandusky's accusers allegedly bent on financial gain.

"The great thing about conspiracy theories is you just let them go on and on, until they collapse under their own weight," he said.

McGettigan described the former coach as a pedophile who systematically preyed on his victims with a calculated and repeated approach.

"The Commonwealth has overwhelming evidence against Mr. Sandusky," he said.

Earlier Thursday, Judge John Cleland announced that three of the counts were dropped against the former coach, bringing the total number of charges to 48.

He told jurors that all three counts pertain to "alleged victim 4," while the defense further petitioned to have all counts related to "alleged victim 8" dismissed as well

                       

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/justice/pennsylvania-sandusky-trial/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[apples]

Adopted son says Jerry Sandusky molested him

Matt Sandusky, one of Jerry Sandusky's adopted children, has said that he was molested by the former Penn State defensive coordinator, according to a statement from his lawyers.

The allegation comes as Sandusky is awaiting the verdict in his child rape trial. Matt Sandusky, who has defended his father as he faced child rape charges, said through his attorneys Andrew Shubin and Justine Andronici that he met with prosecutors this week to tell them he was a victim for the first time.

"During the trial, Matt Sandusky contacted us and requested our advice and assistance in arranging a meeting with prosecutors to disclose for the first time in this case that he is a victim of Jerry Sandusky’s abuse," Matt Sandusky's lawyers said in a statement obtained by InSession. "At Matt’s request, we immediately arranged a meeting between him and the prosecutors and investigators."

No further details were released about the circumstances surrounding the alleged molestation or when Matt Sandusky claims the abuse occurred.

"This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy," a statement from Matt Sandusky's lawyer said. "There will be no further comment at this time."                     

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/21/adopted-son-says-jerry-sandusky-molested-him/?hpt=hp_t1

[apples]

Sandusky accuser details years of abuse: "He'd say he was trying to wrestle with me" EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 10pm/9c

A 30-year-old Ohio man is the first accuser of former Penn State football Coach Jerry Sandusky to speak publicly about the sexual abuse he says he endured.

Travis Weaver, in an exclusive interview to be broadcast Thursday, June 21 at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center, said Sandusky performed oral sex on him in the upstairs bedroom of the Sandusky home, right across the hall from Sandusky’s wife, Dottie.

Weaver said Dottie Sandusky never witnessed firsthand any of the abuse but he suspects she had an idea of what was going on.

“How could you not know?” asked Weaver in the interview.

The trial has grabbed headlines for the past two weeks. Though graphic details from the testimonies of eight of his accusers have been reported, none of the alleged victims of Sandusky has spoken publicly until now.

Weaver has testified in front of a grand jury but was not called as a witness in the current trial. He said he is prepared to testify in the future if needed. He has spoken to both state and federal authorities.

Sandusky is facing 48 charges relating to child sex abuse. He has maintained his innocence. Attorneys gave their closing arguments June 21. At the time of this publishing, no verdict had yet been reached.

Weaver said he had never told anyone of the abuse and had buried the memories deep down. He says he thought he was the only victim until he saw reports that Sandusky had been arrested on charges of molesting other boys last fall.

“I was shocked.  I couldn't believe he just kept doing it to all these other kids,” Weaver said.

Weaver said he feels guilty about the young men who said they were abused after him.

“I wish I would have said something to him.  I think if I had said something to him a lot of this stuff wouldn't 'a happened to all these other kids,” he said.

http://rockcenter.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/21/12341765-sandusky-accuser-details-years-of-abuse-hed-say-he-was-trying-to-wrestle-with-me-exclusive-interview-10pm9c?lite

I was conflicted on  if she knew or not (personal reasons) I think now she knew.

[apples]

Sandusky Jury Rehears Penn St. Assistant Testimony

Jurors in Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse trial listened again to testimony from a key prosecution witness Friday as they began their second day of deliberations in the former Penn State assistant football coach's high-profile case.

The jury deliberated for more than eight hours Thursday before adjourning at the end of a long session that featured dueling portrayals of Sandusky as a "predatory pedophile" or the victim of a conspiracy between investigators and his accusers.

Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period, using his charity for at-risk youth, The Second Mile, as a source of victims who would be dazzled by gifts, grateful for his attention and — perhaps most importantly — unlikely to speak up.

Sandusky has repeatedly denied the allegations. The defense portrayed him as the hapless victim of a conspiracy to convict him of heinous crimes. They explain the 48 charges against him as the result of an investigatory team out for blood and accusers who willingly played along in hopes of securing a big payday.

Judge John Cleland said jurors would take a couple of hours Friday to listen again to testimony from Mike McQueary and Dr. Jonathan Dranov. The testimony was being read out loud from transcripts.

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/sandusky-trial-deliberations-enter-2nd-day-16625646#.T-SB2pG-Rdg

[apples]

Judge: Sandusky Verdict Can’t Be Reported Until Court Is Adjourned

   BELLEFONTE, Pa. (CBS) – Jury deliberations are now underway in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case.

On Thursday, the judge sequestered the jury and issued an order prohibiting members of the media from reporting the verdict until after the court has been adjourned.

According to the order, if any member of media reports the verdict through before the court is adjourned, it will be considered a violation and the reporter, as well as the media outlet they work for, could face sanctions.

As noted in the order, “The time that court is adjourned will be noted in the record. Any report or broadcast of the jury’s verdict posted or broadcast before the noted time will be deemed to have been made in violation of this order and may result in sanctions against both the reporter and the media outlet which broadcasts or otherwise distributes information.
                     

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/06/21/sandusky-verdict-cant-be-reported-until-court-is-adjourned/

[apples]

Verdict Reached in Sandusky Trial; Will be Released Momentarily

The jury in the Jerry Sandusky child molestation case has reached a verdict. The media has received a twenty-minute verdict notification, which means that the result will be announced in twenty minutes.

Jerry Sandusky is a former Assistant Coach for Penn State The high-profile began last year when almost a dozen people came out, revealing that Sandusky has molested them, which then resulted in the firing of Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno.

Sandusky faces 48 counts against him and up to 400 years in prison. Most legal analysts have predicted that he will be found guilty on most, if not all, charges.

http://www.punditpress.com/2012/06/verdict-reached-in-sandusky-trial-will.html

[apples]

Jerry Sandusky's victims, no longer afraid to speak out, are finally heard as monster is found guilty

                            There were cheers outside the courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., on a Friday night in summer, not nearly as loud as cheers that Jerry Sandusky once heard on Saturday afternoons when he coached defense for Joe Paterno at Penn State. This was the job, of course, at which Sandusky moonlighted, from his full-time job as a pedophile, abusing children over years and somehow managing to hide in plain sight at Penn State.

There was Sandusky, in handcuffs at last, blinking into the television lights and shaking his head before he was put into the backseat of a police cruiser, on his way to living out the rest of his miserable life in prison. He will no longer be a predator there. But he will be surrounded by them, by mean, hard men who will know all about the stories they have heard, stories about the former football coach who put young boys in his care up against shower room walls.

And even then, seen with a boy in a shower room by another member of the football staff, nobody stopped Sandusky. Finally he was stopped on Friday night in the courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., as he

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/i-team/jerry-sandusky-victims-longer-afraid-speak-finally-heard-monster-found-guilty-article-1.1101107#ixzz1yd3SwIG1

[apples]

Sandusky lawyers raise appeal issue regarding timing

BELLEFONTE, Pa. –  Jerry Sandusky's lawyers said Saturday they tried to quit at the start of jury selection in his child sex abuse trial because they weren't given enough time to prepare, raising an argument on the trial's speed that could become the thrust of an appeal.

And one of the jurors who convicted Sandusky of 45 child sex abuse counts said Saturday he was swayed by the "very convincing" testimony of eight accusers who said the ex-Penn State assistant football coach molested them for years.

"It's hard to judge character on the stand, because you don't know these kids," juror Joshua Harper told NBC's "Today" show. "But most were very credible -- I would say all."

A day after Sandusky's conviction, his lawyers disclosed they felt too unprepared to adequately defend him because of how quickly the case was brought to trial. Experts have said the seven months between Sandusky's November arrest and trial was fast-paced by Pennsylvania standards.

"We told the trial court, the Superior Court and the Supreme Court we were not prepared to proceed to trial in June due to numerous issues, and we asked to withdraw from the case for those reasons," attorney Joe Amendola told The Associated Press.

The issues included a scheduling conflict with a defense team member and the need to read a cache of documents produced by a lengthy grand jury investigation. Judge John Cleland denied their request.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/06/23/sandusky-lawyers-raise-appeal-issue-regarding-timing/#ixzz1yfnEc9e1

[apples]

Jerry Sandusky on Suicide Watch, Undergoing Evaluations

Jerry Sandusky is on suicide watch at the local jail after being convicted on 45 counts of sexually abusing young boys late, the former Penn State coach's defense attorney said today.

Sandusky was led away in handcuffs to the Centre County jail Friday night after a jury of seven women and five men found him guilty of nearly all of the most serious allegations of child rape and sex abuse leveled against him, but Sandusky has not reached the end of his road yet. He will still face civil suits, potentially more criminal charges against him, and years of treatment while in prison.

After the jury foreman read 45 "guilty" verdicts aloud to an emotionless Sandusky Friday night, Judge John Cleland revoked bail and sent Sandusky to county jail to be evaluated by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board for a pre-sentencing report, taking into account his psychological and physical health.

Defense attorney Karl Rominger told CNN today that Sandusky is being held on suicide watch in protective custody, away from other inmates. The jail would not comment on Sandusky's condition to ABC News.

Sandusky will be held at the county jail for approximately 90 days, until he is sentenced by Cleland to what will likely amount to life in prison.

After that, he will likely spend the rest of his days in a state prison in Pennsylvania, living among the general population of 18- to 79-year olds until he ages out of the system and is transferred to a facility for older prisoners. He will be forced to undergo treatment for sex offenders while in prison, according to The Associated Press.

Sandusky could still face more charges from a bevy of accusers who were not included in the original case against him, including his adopted son Matthew, who came forward at the end of the prosecution's case during the trial last week to say he would testify on the state's behalf. His attorneys confirmed in a statement that he was a victim of his adoptive father's abuse.

Matt and at least four other men have all been in discussions with the attorney general's office about their allegations, according to attorneys representing the men.

Attorney general Linda Kelly said following the verdict Friday night that the case remains open.

"Other victims have come forward after the grand jury presentment in this case, and we intend to continue to look into those matters," she said.

http://news.yahoo.com/jerry-sandusky-suicide-watch-undergoing-evaluations-185635924--abc-news-topstories.html