BELLEFONTE - Jerry Sandusky returned to the site of his greatest defeat for the last time Thursday, his manic grin belying the grim reality of all that happened there: the graphic testimony of his accusers, the verdict branding him a serial pedophile and the sentence that, barring a reversal, will keep him locked away for the rest of his life for sexually abusing at least 10 boys over the last two decades.
Mr. Sandusky, appearing more gaunt and weathered than at those junctures in June and October, waved to his wife and the half-dozen supporters in the gallery as he entered the main courtroom for a hearing on his attorneys' push for a new trial - the first step in a potentially lengthy appeal process.
Mr. Sandusky's attorneys, Joseph Amendola and Karl Rominger, had long contended an influx of evidence turned over by prosecutors in the weeks before the June trial compromised their ability to thoroughly investigate the case. At the hearing Thursday, however, Mr. Amendola admitted none of the late-arriving material would have been relevant to the trial and would not have factored into the defense.
Lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan and Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina pounced on Mr. Amendola's admission and subsequent testimony about the strong quality of his work and his unencumbered ability to cross-examine witnesses. Mr. Amendola's words, they said, acted as an argument against the defense contention that a trial delay would have bolstered their ability to defend Mr. Sandusky.
Mr. Sandusky's appellate attorney, Norris Gelman, argued the quality of the evidence should not mitigate the crippling effect the sudden arrival of thousands of pages and dozens of discs had on Mr. Amendola and Mr. Rominger's preparation.
Judge John M. Cleland is expected to rule within 30 days. If he upholds Mr. Sandusky's conviction, the defense can appeal to the state Superior Court.
Contact the writer: msisak@citizensvoice.com, @cvmikesisak on Twitter