Jerry Sandusky's attorney Joe Amendola held a press conference on the steps of the Centre County Courthouse shortly after the jury verdict convicting his client on 45 of the 48 counts with which he was charged. Amendola praised his counterparts who prosecuted Sandusky as "exemplary." He also praised Judge John Cleland for his handling of the courtroom throughout the trial, and the defense's only quibble seems to be with the judge's denial of their requests for a continuance. Sandusky's co-cousel Karl Rominger indicated on CNN that this may be the basis of an appeal -- a challenge that is unlikely to overturn the conviction.
Amendola spent a significant portion of his press conference addressing the decision to not call Sandusky to the stand to testify. He stated the he was prepared to call his client until the defense received word that Jerry's adopted son Matt, was now alleging that he was another victim and was prepared to take the stand. Amendola indicated that the potential for Matt Sandusky's rebuttal testimony responding to his adopted father would have destroyed any chance for an acquittal.
In the end, that dubious claim did not matter, as Sandusky was found guilty on all but three counts. Amendola concluded his press conference by saying his client's sentence will essentially be a life sentence -- a statement that was greeted by raucous applause from the gathered crowd.
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