BELLEFONTE, Pa. —
A dispute about whether people from the State College area will be allowed to sit as jurors in Jerry Sandusky’s child sex-abuse case was the subject of a hearing in Bellefonte.
The proceeding today at the Centre County Courthouse also addressed Sandusky’s request to have contact with his grandchildren and others while he awaits trial on 52 criminal counts.
The judge said he will rule on the issues quickly with a target day for trial sometime in May.
Sandusky attended Friday’s hearing and a number of witnesses were brought in to testify. After Sandusky’s attorney filed a bail modification motion, requesting that a judge change his home confinement agreement to allow his grandchildren to visit his house, as well as let Sandusky work with private investigators outside of his home, prosecutors filed a frenzy of motions, urging a judge to select an out-of-county jury to hear the case.
After years of investigations and grand jury testimony, prosecutors at the attorney general’s office filed 52 charges connected to child sex abuse allegations involving 10 boys on and off of the Penn State campus.
Several neighbors claimed that they recently saw Jerry Sandusky shoveling snow outside his Grandview Road home and sitting on his back porch, watching children on the playground at the neighboring Lemont Elementary School.
“It’s not just the safety of the children, our children; it’s also just the quality of life,” said neighbor Jody Harrington. “Given the crimes that Jerry Sandusky is accused of, it’s very difficult to sort of not have a very guarded state of mind when you think about what I’ve heard about his crimes that he is accused of.”
Defense attorney Joe Amendola said that the claims are being blown out of proportion and that Sandusky has fully complied with the set rules of his home confinement.
“What has happened is that he’s been out there on occasion when kids come out, maybe for recess, and somebody walks through the yard,” said Amendola. He tells me that there are actually people who walk their kids through the Sanduskys’ yard to school.”‘
According to court documents obtained by 6 News, allegations of misconduct between Sandusky and two young family members have been ruled unfounded, and a court-appointed guardian working with three of Sandusky’s grandchildren told the judge that they should be allowed to visit.
Unlike the preliminary hearing in December that attracted hundreds of reporters from across the country, Bellefonte Police Chief Shawn Weaver said officials decided not to close down streets around the courthouse.
“We’re going to handle this one within our town, with our own department,” said Weaver. “We don’t foresee any problems, but if we do have to hit the panic button, help is only a minute away.”
Local restaurant owners told 6 News that they were disappointed with the extra business promised by national media outlets during the preliminary hearing and decided not to open early on Friday.
“We had coffee and breakfast pizza. We just heard that the town was going to be crazy,” said Mamma Lucrezia’s owner Stefania Albegiani. “It was disappointing last time. This time, we’re just doing the regular hours.”
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