Jerry Sandusky makes case for local jury

Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach charged with sexually abusing boys, pauses while speaking to the media at the Centre County Courthouse after a bail conditions hearing Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 in Bellefonte, Pa. / AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Last Updated 12:20 p.m. ET

BELLEFONTE, Pa. - Jerry Sandusky said a local jury would be no more or less biased against him in his child sex abuse trial than a jury from anywhere else in Pennsylvania.

The former Penn State assistant coach told Judge John Cleland he agreed with his attorney's request to have a State College-area jury hear his case and acknowledged he'd be waiving his right to appeal a possible guilty verdict on the grounds the local jury was biased.

Prosecutors oppose the use of a local jury, saying an out-of-county jury would be more fair.

Cleland promised a quick ruling on all the issues, including tightening or loosening Sandusky's bail restrictions and the jury-related motion.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Sandusky said he came to today's hearing because he misses seeing his grandchildren, and also wants it to be easier for him to see old friends, who currently would need to be approved by probation officials.

Sandusky said his "home has been open for 27 years to all kinds of people."

"I have a wife who came home after visiting with grandchildren or who's sitting there when grandchildren call on my birthday, and they ask to talk to me, and she has to tell them that they can't. I'm sensitive to that," he said.

"Or when she comes home from visiting with grandchildren and tells me that one of them said that 'The only thing I want for my birthday is to be able to see Papa,' I'm sensitive to that."

But prosecutors say Sandusky's home isn't a safe place for children. Authorities say some of the alleged abuse happened in the home's basement.

Prosecutors want Sandusky kept indoors pre-trial
Sandusky lawyer seeks accusers' phone numbers

Bail restrictions were also among the issues presented to Judge Cleland at today's pretrial hearing.

Both sides want to change the rules of Sandusky's house arrest. He is seeking permission to allow his 11 grandchildren to visit his home, accompanied by a parent, as well as to be allowed to communicate with them by phone or computer.

Prosecutors noted one daughter-in-law strongly objects to increased contact between her children and Sandusky.

"This home was not safe for children for 15 years, and it's not safe for children now," said state prosecutor Jonelle Eshbach.

Defense attorney Joesph Amendola presented the court with letters from Sandusky's children, and notes and drawings from his grandchildren, expressing their desire for increased contact. He also noted a court-appointed guardian for grandchildren who are part of a custody dispute found no reason Sandusky couldn't see them.

The state attorney general's office has asked for tougher bail rules, arguing that the provisions of Sandusky's house arrest should be altered to require him to stay indoors after neighbors complained they've seen him on his back porch, watching children play in a nearby schoolyard.

An attorney general's office investigator, Anthony Sassano, testified that neighbors and school personnel expressed their concerns about Sandusky's presence on his back deck.

Sassano testified that Sandusky's presence had disrupted school activities in classrooms from which the former coach's home is visible.

One neighbor had used a video camera to document Sandusky's trips to his deck, Sassano said.

Amendola asked what was seen on the recordings, with Sassano responding that on one Sandusky is brushing his dog and on another he'd let the dog out to play. Amendola noted Sandusky is not allowed to give his dog standard walks because of his bail restrictions.

Sandusky faces 52 criminal counts for alleged sexual misconduct involving boys over 15 years, actions that police and prosecutors say have included violent sexual assault inside the Penn State football team facilities. He has denied the allegations.

Prosecutors have said the special position Penn State holds for people in Centre County would make it a challenge for jurors there to render a fair verdict. Sandusky, 68, wants a Centre County jury.

[vissionquest]

Sandusky is looking for that one idiot jurror is who is more upset by the outfall and how Paterno got suckered into the mess, and is angry at the prosecution. Paterno deservedly had a great following, and the prosecution of Sandusky caused this to be tarnished. WSith 50 counts of child abuse being filed, Sandusky and his lawyers are doing everything to make potential jurrors forget how awful these crimes are. A plea for his ghraqndchildren almost makes him sould human --he is not human hee is a child's worst nightmare.

[janientexas]

He needs to be forced to leave that community permanently. He also needs to be permanently banned from any kind of contact with anyone under the age of 18. I would not trust him with his grandkids even if the parents of those kids were in the same room with him. If those kids sat on his lap that is where he gets his sexual satisfaction and that needs to be prevented and to protect all children from his sick mind. I hope the judge moves the trial out of town so there is no chance of a local jury showing favoritism because of his football connections.

[Lerianis4]

So, basically you are saying "Punishment before the trial is done even if he is found not guilty!" Sorry, dipwad, but in America we do not do that.

[kayers43yahoocom]

of course he wants the trial local. he's probably still depending on the 'good 'ole boys'" backing. he is in such denial as we see him actually trying to laugh and talk to the men transporting him to the court house. he really doesn't know the damage he's done to the young boys and the physical harm he did them. sure hope his grand kids haven't had to endure any of his "hygiene" classes!

[lasvegasteacher]

The judge has two options: allow a grieving grandparent to see his children and grandchildren or protect them from being exposed to an accused child molester. So for the judge has done the right thing, the safety of Sandusky's offspring is the most important thing in this case. The safety of the children in the school yard is also the only thing to be considered in making decisions about Sandusky.

[kbbpll]

Restrict him to his shower.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Does Sandusky really think that the local Penn State college crowd will overlook what he did in remembrence of his glory days coaching football? I'm not one prone to Nazism, but I can't help feeling this is a case where you want to keep the trial before the firing squad as brief as possible.

[rightontarget]

"An attorney general's office investigator, Anthony Sassano, testified that neighbors and school personnel expressed their concerns about Sandusky's presence on his back deck. Sassano testified that Sandusky's presence had disrupted school activities in classrooms from which the former coach's home is visible."

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Sounds to me like the locals are more against him than for him. They want him confined to indoors on his own property. It might be to his benefit not to have a "local jury".

[PourpaixPourpaix]

I'm surprised he's survived house arrest for so long, considering the large number of victim's fathers in the area.

[Truth--Tracker]

Any judge who does NOT grant a "change of venue" and hold the trial outside of Penn State country is a judge determined to whitewash this scandal. We all remember vividly what happened when the Rodney King police violence trial was held in a known "police community" where even the unequivocal guilty-as-hell eye-witness video was not enough to trump the pro-police prejudice that ultimately acquitted the violent police felons. We had to call-in the Feds to re-prosecute that one, or justice would have been denied.

Any attempt to hold this trial in Penn State's backyard will constitute an outright flagrant, in-your-face, defiant attempt to sabotage the legal justice system. It's called "forum shopping" and that is precisely why Sandusky's attorney is fighting tooth & nail to keep the trial in Penn State's backyard. He knows that if the trial is held in a location 'free of pro-Penn-State prejudice' his client is going to be spending the rest of his days in a cage. What brutal irony it would be - if the same prejudice that ignored these child rape\abuse crimes ended up acquittal a child molester and child rapist.

I will for ever more hold Penn State in tremendous contempt for so militantly and perniciously trying to whitewash, cover-up and sandbag these decrepit, demented child abuse crimes to the bitter end.

[TheStolenGiraffe]

@TeeThomp

"Jerry Sandusky said a local jury would be no more or less biased against him in his child sex abuse trial than a jury from anywhere else in Pennsylvania.

The former Penn State assistant coach told Judge John Cleland he agreed with his attorney's request to have a State College-area jury hear his case and acknowledged he'd be waiving his right to appeal a possible guilty verdict on the grounds the local jury was biased."

Can you read?

[ReckonedTruth]

TeeThomp there was no need for that..which demonstrates you're not so bright.. especially if you didn't read what the Sandusky stated..

[andie52]

I don't think that a local jury would be biased; in fact I'd be more concerned about them favoring him.

[Truth--Tracker]

That's the whole point you dolt. The 'local jury' WOULD favor Sandusky and that is precisely the 'bias' the prosecutor seeks to avoid. It's called "an attempt to sabotage the Legal Justice System -- which necessarily requires the absence of bias and prejudice in order for justice to be served.

What a brain-dead statement to make.

[lloydbest1]

I believe that is why Sandusky and his lawers want the trial to be held as close to State College as possible. Football is almost a religion in west-central Pennsylvania - even more so than in Texas or Georgia, believe it or not and Joe-Pa is still revered almost as a god. Jerry has a tremendous amount of support as well and both he and his lawyers know that holding the trial in Penn State's backyard will bias any jury select ed heavily in favor of him..

The reason for the change in venue is not to mitigate bias AGAINST Mr. Sandusky but to lessen the bias in FAVOR of him

[hsinco-2009]

It makes my skin crawl just to look at photos of him.