HARRISBURG, Pa. – Former Penn State President Graham Spanier was arraigned on $125,000 unsecured bail, was ordered to forfeit his passport and lost travel privileges outside of Pennsylvania in less than 10 minutes on Wednesday morning.
Spanier was arraigned on five charges in connection with his role in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. He now joins former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and former Penn State vice president Gary Schultz in being charged with perjury, endangering the welfare of children, failure to report, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Curley and Schultz were each arraigned on $50,000 unsecured bail on Friday in Harrisburg.
Spanier pleaded not guilty to the charges, his attorney, Elizabeth Ainslie said. Ainslie is part of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, the firm representing the former Penn State president. Still, Judge William Wenner revoked his right to travel out of the state unless the court sees fit to extend him the privilege to travel in an extenuating circumstance.
Spanier was also ordered to turn his passport over to the court. His unsecured $125,000 bail means he does not have to post any cash or property but is obligated to appear at any scheduled court appearances.
Ainsile spoke for about two minutes outside the courthouse, long enough to say that her client is innocent of all charges and to condemn Attorney General Linda Kelly’s claim that the three former top Penn State administrators were in a ‘conspiracy of silence’ to protect Sandusky.
‘It is absolutely ridiculous. Dr. Spanier was never given a chance to speak to this grand jury to give his side of the story and we look forward to the chance to present his side of the story in the future.’
Counsel for the defendant offered no further comment and Spanier walked to his car with his wife, who a Hemmingway Scholar at Penn State.
Wenner said a preliminary hearing in Spanier’s case may not be until January, but he will make adjustments for a Dec. 16 court date if necessary.
Curley and Schultz were given a potential preliminary hearing date of Nov. 12.
Sandusky, 68, was sentenced on Oct. 9 to 30-60 years in prison for his sex crimes against children. He was moved to SCI Greene, a maximum security prison, where he will serve out the duration of his sentence.
