Sandusky denies at appeals hearing that he molested boys

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse for an appeals hearing about whether he was improperly convicted four years ago, in Bellefonte, Pa. Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.

There are two more days of hearings scheduled for Sandusky’s PCRA petition on August 22 and 23. Sandusky was facing a prison sentence for his conviction in June, 2012 on 45 counts of child sexual abuse, including while he was the defensive coordinator for the Penn State college football team.

Among the issues are a statement made during the prosecutor’s closing argument and the decision to have Sandusky give a television interview after his arrest.

Sandusky was on the stand for about an hour, describing what he said was bad media and legal advice given to him by his former lawyer, Joseph Amendola.

Sandusky is seeking a new trial under Pennsylvania’s Post-Conviction Relief Act ineffective counsel provision, arguing his lawyers in the original trial did not provide his constitutionally-guaranteed robust defense.

During the 2012 trial, eight men testified that Sandusky sexually abused them while serving as assistant coach for Penn State under coach Joe Paterno, who was sacked as a result of the scandal.

“I had no idea what was going to happen”, Sandusky said.

If the judge rules in Sandusky’s favor he could get a new trial.

Jerry Sandusky is making a forceful denial of the child molestation charges for which he’s been convicted and says it wasn’t his idea to waive his right to testify during his 2012 trial.

He was “absolutely surprised”, Sandusky testified Friday.

“That would be dirty and foreign to me”, Sandusky replied Friday when his lawyer asked about his guilt.

Sandusky claims the plan all along was for him to testify at trial.

Sandusky also argues that Amendola damaged his case by initially telling the jury that Sandusky would testify and then convincing his client at the last minute not to take the stand.

Sandusky previously lost direct appeals to state Superior and Supreme courts.

Excerpts showing Sandusky struggling to answer questions about his alleged attraction to young boys were shown at his 2012 trial. He claims Amendola feared doing so would prompt the prosecution to pull a trump card by calling Sandusky’s son Matt to the stand, although Sandusky claims he had “ample evidence” to discredit any testimony Matt could have provided against him.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office told AP prosecutors they consider Sandusky’s claims to be meritless and are ready for his testimony. If Sandusky is successful, his charges could be dismissed, but that’s less likely than the chance the judge could order a new trial.