Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse on Friday night. His attorney's bizarre behavior, both before the verdict was read and after the charges were handed down, may actually aid Sandusky on appeal. Via Michael Gartland of the New York Post:
Damaging comments by a lawyer for Jerry Sandusky could help the convicted Penn State child molester on appeal, veteran New York defense lawyers said yesterday.
"He had an ethical obligation to represent his client as zealously as possible," said Manhattan defense lawyer Lori Cohen. "It's hard to reconcile a zealous defense with his public comments."
The comments in question come from Sandusky's lead attorney Joe Amendola, who said on Friday before the verdict was read he would "die of a heart attack" if his client was acquitted by the jury, and then after the trial when Amendola and co-counsel Karl Rominger both claimed they needed more time and were ill-prepared for trail. If Sandusky were to fire Amendola, his new lawyer could use Amendola's words and ineffective performance against him in an appeal.
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