Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is appealing his sentence for child molestation. The state appeals court will hear the appeal next Tuesday. Sandusky wants a new trial based on these allegations:
Pennsylvania’s Superior Court will decide whether prosecutors made an improper reference to the fact that Sandusky did not testify, whether jury instructions were mishandled and whether the defense should have been given more time before trial to digest a large volume of investigative material.
His lawyer Norris Gelman said Sandusky will not be at the hearing. He also claims Judge John Cleland should have reminded the jurors the length of time between the abuse and when the victims reported it. The attorney general says the jury knew the defense was arguing the abuse never occurred and the victims were looking for a payday.
“The record demonstrates that the victims had clear reasons for not disclosing the abuse by Sandusky: not only were they ashamed of the acts of abuse,” the AG’s office wrote, “but Sandusky gave them gifts, including access to the PSU football program, and was a prominent figure who was more likely to be believed than they were.”
Sandusky was convicted in July 2012 of 45 counts of sexual abuse. Eight of the ten victims testified against him. Cleland sentenced him 30 to 60 years in prison.
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