The Jerry Sandusky trial isn't going to be a pretty one. We knew that. The testimony of prosecution witnesses is difficult to hear. The course of the Sandusky defense will involve many direct and indirect character assaults on people who most of us already believe without a doubt were children who were horrifically abused by Sandusky.
It will be a tough trial. If, by the end of it, we can feel as if justice has been done, it will be a small but meaningful consolation.
Sandusky Defense Strategy
After opening statements and the first day of testimony, it appears that the Sandusky defense strategy will be to cast doubt on the accusations of the children Sandusky knew, by highlighting what is wrong with them.
"The evidence will show these kids had problems," said Sandusky's attorney Joe Amendola.
"You saw those 8 photos, cute kids," Amendola said. "Why would they lie? Folks, I don’t know if any of you have been involved in family disputes over money... The evidence will show these young men had a financial interest in pursuing this case. All of these kids came from The Second Mile by recommendation and referrals... because they had issues."
Interestingly, Amendola says they do not maintain that the prosecution's key witness, former Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary, is lying.
"We don't think Michael McQueary lied," Amendola told jurors. "Are you surprised? We don't think that he lied. What we think is that he saw something and made assumptions."
As details of the case spread last fall, the nation was shocked and appalled that so many people in and around Penn State had knowledge of sexual abuse by Sandusky, and that no one ever made a definitive move to the Police to put an end to it. And Amendola is citing exactly that as evidence in Sandusky's favor.
"Not one of them said call the police," Amendola said. "Even after nothing happened (McQueary himself) never called the police."
As for Sandusky himself, the defense appears to be painting him as a man with an unheard of capacity for innocent love of and fondness for children.
"Jerry loves kids so much that he does things none of us would ever dream of doing," Amendola said.
Prosecution Strategy
Lead Prosecutor Joseph McGettigan III told jurors in his opening statement that he would provide evidence that Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of the accusers included oral and anal sex. The abuse, McGettigan said, was not isolated or obscure for Sandusky, but had happened "not over days, not over weeks, not even over months, but in some cases over years."
The Second Mile charity, the prosecution says, made for the perfect venue to identify and then "groom" susceptible victims.
Ten accusers will testify as prosecution witnesses. The court did not permit any of them to testify under psuedonyms. The accusations from prosecution witnesses, particularly the accusers, will be graphic, detailed and will attempt to be both factually credible and to inspire sympathy for immense physical and psychological suffering.
Testimony And Revelations
The most concrete evidence presented by the prosecution was a written letter from to one of his accusers, Victim 1:
"I know that I have made my share of mistakes. However, I hope that I will be able to say that I cared. There has been love in my heart.
"My wish is that you care and that you have love in your heart. Love never ends. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. I believe that it can overcome all things.
"Love Jerry"
Victim 4 took the stand and testified that Sandusky would constantly rub his leg and put his hand on his leg, "like I was his girlfriend," even when Victim 4 pushed Sandusky away.
"It freaked me out extremely bad," said the accuser.
He said Sandusky showered with him, often wrestling and would manuever himself so the man's head was as close to his genitals as possible.
But Victim 4 said he "loved" the close access he gained to Penn State football - including travel with the team to bowl games, watching games from the sidelines, meeting his favorite players. Part of that access was also showers in the locker rooms with Sandusky, which he said grew increasingly distressing.
The biggest surprise from the defense was that Sandusky was listed as a possible witness.
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Follow Bison Messink on Twitter: @BisonMessink
[Associated Press]
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