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Sandusky jury still deliberating
Friday, June 22, 2012
By Terry Whetstone Staff Writer
BELLEFONTE - The Jerry Sandusky sex abuse trial entered its eighth day yesterday in Centre County Court with Senior Judge John Cleland giving the jury its orders before Joe Amendola, council for Sandusky, and Senior Deputy Attorney General Joseph McGettigan III, offered closing arguments.
The jury was dismissed to begin deliberating at 1:10 p.m. and returned to the courtroom at 8:30 p.m., at which time members asked to either hear the tape or review the transcripts from the testimony of witnesses Mike McQueary and Dr. John Dranov.
Cleland noted the McQueary testimony is approximately two hours long and the Dranov piece is a little shorter. Cleland suggested they deliberate until about 9:30 p.m. and then be shuttled to their rooms.
Court began today at 9 a.m. with the jury set to review the testimony of McQueary and Dranov.
Before they were discharged to the deliberation room at 1:10 p.m., the jury heard from the judge and the attorneys.
Cleland told the jurors everyone is depending on their integrity and good judgment. He advised them the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and that it is not a crime to touch a child, as long as they are not touching them inappropriately.
He explained to the jury it is not to consider counts 16, 18, 19 and 32 as he did dismiss those counts.
Cleland also reminded jurors they must all be in agreement and that Sandusky could be guilty on all counts, guilty on some counts or not guilty on any counts; they need to review all of the evidence carefully before rendering a decision.
Amendola said the jury needed to think about it, that one witness had testified Sandusky was with the football team for 17 hours a day and he was to have been playing racquetball and other events with the children he was accused of abusing.
"Think about it," Amendola said. "It just doesn't add up."
He said not one person complained about Sandusky until Victim One did. He said that alleged victim did not complain until his mother wanted him to go with Sandusky one night and he wanted to go with his friends.
"That started the chain reaction," Amendola said. "Then CYS got involved and right away everyone assumes the worst."
He also noted that Sandusky has maintained his innocence the entire time.
Amendola believes there is a monetary reason for the claims and the attorneys defending the young men could possibly have a financial interest in mind.
He asked the jury to consider that if the police thought Sandusky was such a monster, and figured he'd "attack" again, why didn't they arrest him when the first claims were made?
He said Sandusky agreed to do the interview with Bob Costas simply to maintain his innocence. When Costas asked him why McQueary would lie, Sandusky simply said, "I don't know, you'll have to ask him."
He questioned why McQueary did not do anything to stop the attack he reported when the police were only 30 seconds away?
"If Jerry Sandusky did this, he should rot in jail," Amendola said. "But, what if he's innocent?
He told the jury not to be fooled because he can't go back and dispute what McGettigan says.
"There was no physical evidence," Amendola said. "I suggested to Jerry his next book should be ‘Slammed.'"
Amendola finished his closing arguments at 11:22 a.m. He spoke for one hour and 12 minutes.
Following a 20-minute recess McGettigan began his closing argument.
He told the jurors if they could prove there was a conspiracy, "bring me the handcuffs," he said.
"This isn't about a conspiracy," McGettigan said. "It's about him," (pointing to a photo of Sandusky on the large screen across the room).
McGettigan said he was surprised when (Richard) Anderson said he showers with young boys, "But he doesn't pick them up, take them to do a 10-minute workout, then shower and squeeze their guts out in the shower," he said.
"He molested and abused children," McGettigan said in regard to Sandusky. "Find him guilty."
Unbeknownst to the jurors, during their deliberations, Sandusky's adopted son, Matt, admitted that he was a victim of his father's sexual abuse.
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