Attorney General asks Judge to Help Keep Sandusky Evidence Private

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office filed a request in court Monday asking a judge to establish a compliance deadline for Jerry Sandusky’s defense attorney regarding case evidence.

Chief Deputy Attorney General James Barker filed a motion in Centre County Common Pleas Court asking Senior Judge John Cleland to instruct Karl Rominger, co-counsel for convicted pedophile Sandusky, to comply with a 2012 protective order that requires evidence not used in trial to remain undisclosed.

The judge issued the order June 26, 2012 after someone released an audio recording of a state police interview with Jerry Sandsuky’s adopted son, Matt Sandusky. Portions of the recording were played during an interview with Matt Sandusky on the Today Show. During the interview, he says Jerry Sandusky sexually abused him as a child.

The judge’s order says prosecutors and defense attorneys cannot release any evidence from the case, including the investigating grand jury process, not already made public during Sandusky’s trial with the intent being to protect the privacy of victims and others who provided testimony.

The judge gave defense attorneys 10 days to supply an inventory of all evidence protected under the order. Co-counsel Joe Amendola submitted an inventory list July 6, 2012. However, Rominger did not file a list and instead appealed the order to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which denied his petition.

Barker argues in Monday’s motion that Rominger said publicly he intended to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, but never did and the deadline for such an appeal has expired. Therefore, Barker asked the court to issue a new deadline for Rominger to comply with the original order.

Barker says the matter remains a concern “due to obvious grand jury secrecy and violations of court orders.”

Rominger could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.

Rominger, who works out of Carlisle, is facing other legal troubles. Earlier this month he voluntarily surrendered his law license to the state as he is under investigation.

Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed said in a statement his office received information regarding Rominger possibly misappropriating funds. Freed said Rominger, and his attorney William Costopoulos, are cooperating with the investigation.

“My office is leading an investigation into the potential misappropriation of a significant amount of client funds by Rominger,” Freed said. “We have handled many significant theft investigations in the last few years. Such investigations are document driven, and, done correctly, require complex forensic accounting. We are currently engaged in that process.”

A jury found Sandusky, a former Penn State football coach, guilty of 45 counts of child abuse. A judge sentenced him to 30 to 60 years in state prison.

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