The Sandusky Trial - New Allegations Arise

As the jury in the Jerry "The Sandman" Sandusky sexual molestation case deliberated into the evening before suspending until 9 a.m. Friday ET, the case was rocked by a late-breaking allegation.  Matt Sandusky, Jerry and Dottie Sandusky's 33-year-old adopted son, released a statement through his attorney saying the trial had sparked painful memories of being abused himself by the former Penn State defensive coordinator.  It was reported on Yahoo.com that Matt had become so convinced of his own abuse that he called prosecutors earlier this week and expressed a willingness to testify against his father. He'd started the trial on the defense witness list.  "This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy. There will be no further comment," his attorney said in a statement first reported by the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News.  Defense attorney Karl Rominger cited a gag order to Yahoo! Sports when asked about Matt Sandusky's allegations and whether it impacted the decision to not have Jerry testify.  "I wish there wasn't a gag order because this is something we'd like to address," Rominger said.

This new allegation brings up a few questions.  One, why didn't special deputy attorney general Joseph E. McGettigan III call what would've been a blockbuster witness against his father, who faces 48 counts for abusing 10 boys over a 15 year period?  The answer, he couldn't.  At least he couldn't without risking the defense being able to call for a continuance that may have delayed the trial for months and caused the reseating of a jury and the potential retrying of a case the state feels very strong about.  Matt Sandusky's revelations came too late. He wasn't included in the original indictment, meaning he couldn't be a prosecution witness without the defense arguing that they need time to prepare for the new charge.  Two, is this the reason "The Sandman" did not testify?  The answer is possibly.  The only way for Matt Sandusky to become a witness would've been if Jerry Sandusky had testified in his own defense. Then on cross-examination, McGettigan could've addressed the potential abuse and later called Matt Sandusky as a rebuttal witness but not as an alleged victim.  That may have played into the defense's decision to not put Jerry Sandusky on the stand, which defense sources say wasn't made until Wednesday morning, just hours before it rested its case.

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