BREAKING NEWS

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Judge Rules Against Providing Sandusky More Details in Case as Graphic Testimony Seemed to Arouse Him

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Bennington Vale Evening Transcript) -- Jerry Sandusky, the disgraced former assistant football coach and resident pedophile at Penn State, will not be receiving more details from witnesses about the alleged sexual assaults, according to the judge's ruling Tuesday. Sandusky's defense attorney Joe Amendola said he will push to dismiss all counts against his client on the grounds of "lack of specificity." Sandusky is charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. Amendola argued before the court that "if the commonwealth can't be more specific, the defendant can't adequately present their defense." But Judge John Cleland rebuffed Amendola's claim on two grounds: first, that additional details don't exist because the victims were children at the time of the incidents; and second, because the more graphic the testimonies became, the more aroused Sandusky appeared in court. One bailiff told reporters, "The defendant's demeanor was icky and creepy. I had to shower twice after court was dismissed, just to feel human again."

According to sources inside the courtroom, two stenographers walked off their jobs midway through the hearing. One was audibly sobbing, the other appeared to be fighting back nausea. At several points during cross examination, Judge Cleland found himself forced to remind Sandusky to control himself.

Mabel Glessden, the second stenographer to abandon her post, said: "It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. One young man was providing a very graphic account of being molested by Mr. Sandusky in a locker room shower. It was hard enough to stomach the images themselves without Mr. Sandusky moaning and panting and grabbing at himself during the story."

As Amendola cross examined witnesses, it was Sandusky who disrupted court frequently by blurting out statements such as: "Ask for more, Joe. Make him show you on the doll. Oooh, that's the stuff. Right there, yeah. Then what happened when your towel dropped? Ahhhh. You need to be more specific, kiddo -- exactly how did you get in that position?"

Judge Cleland eventually threatened the defense with contempt after the final witness left the stand and Sandusky -- flushed and sweating -- laughed, "Anyone got a towel and a cigarette?"

Glessden said that despite the countless rebukes from the judge and Mr. Sandusky's inappropriately gleeful behavior in court, Amendola remained adamant in demanding that the court provide more detail.

"Mr. Sandusky's attorney complained that the court had no right to deny his client full disclosure of evidence that could help him get off," Glessden recounted. "Judge Cleland replied that in his opinion, Mr. Sandusky had gotten off several times during the course of the hearing, but would not be jerking himself from the hands of justice so enthusiastically."

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