The Jerry Sandusky defense team had what is being called its biggest moment of the trial today, as the defense provided an audio tape this morning of two Pennsylvania State Troopers conversing with the lawyer of Victim 4 when neither party realized the tape was recording.
With Victim 4 out of the room, state police corporal Joeseph Leiter talks with attorney Ben Andreozzi in a conversation that Judge John Cleland said may call into question whether or not investigator coached and instructed accusers on what to say when reporting the type of abuse they suffered from Jerry Sandusky.
"The issue," Cleland said with the court seated and the jury present, "is whether or not seeds were planted by the officer."
In the conversation, Leiter tells Andreozzi of accusations that other alleged victims had made of Sandusky.
"Oh, you're kidding, the time frame matches up?" Andreozzi says. "Can we at some point say to [Victim 4], 'Listen, we have interviewed other kids, other kids have admitted that there was intercourse. And they've admitted. Is there anything else you want to tell us?' "
Leiter says that they can, and that it is not unusual to do so.
"Yep, we do that with all the other kids, 'Listen, this is what we've found … This is what we found, this is how he operates. … This has happened and this has happened and that has happened," Leiter says.
The conversation continues for 16 minutes until Victim No. 4 returned to the room and given a soda.
Leiter then speaks to Victim 4.
"You're not the first. I've interviewed probably nine kids, nine other adults. And you're doing very well. It is amazing. If this was a book, you'd be repeating word for word what other people told us. And we know from these other young adults who talked to us that there is a pretty well-defined progression that he operated and he still operates to some degree.
"Often this progression goes on into a long period of time leading into more than just touching, there's been actual oral sex that's taken place by both parties and it is classified that an actual rape has occurred. I don't want you to feel that again.
"I don't want you to feel ashamed. You are a victim in this thing. What happened, happened. These types of things happen. We need you to tell us what happened. Again, we're not going to treat you any differently… You are a victim of this crime.
"We need you to tell us as graphically as you can what took place. I just want you to know that you are not alone in this … I just want you to understand your not alone in this. By no means are you alone in this."
"I understand," Victim 4 says.
Leiter: "OK, we're going to restart the recording. It is now 12:37. Again, we are going to continue the recording."
A key part of the Sandusky defense strategy has been to argue that Sandusky was the victim of an over-eager investigation that prodded accusers towards what to say. During questioning on the witness stand, the officers insisted they followed proper police questioning tactics, but defense attorneys hammered them for leading witnesses.
Most other defense evidence and witnesses have been character witnesses vouching for Sandusky, but this tape represents the first concrete piece of evidence that supports their claims.
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[h/t Dan Wetzel]
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