Sandusky found guilty on child sex abuse charges; appeal expected

Sat June 23, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Juror says the witnesses were all very credible, jury was "on the same page"
Sandusky has been placed on suicide watch, his attorney says
Sandusky attorney: There were substantial constitutional questions during the trial
The ex-coach is guilty on 45 of 48 counts for sexually abusing boys over 15 years

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.-

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury convicted him on 45 of 48 counts related to sexual abuse of boys, ending a painful chapter for victims and the entire university.

But the ordeal is not over, as Sandusky's defense team announced plans to appeal despite the mountain of convictions against his client.

"If you win on one of the appeal issues, everything probably falls," attorney Joe Amendola said. "So all we have to do is convince an appellate court that one of the issues that we will raise is worthy of a reversal. ... It doesn't matter, it could be 100 counts, and it would still all come back if an appeal is granted."

Sandusky was booked into Centre County jail after Judge John Cleland revoked his bail.

His co-counsel, Karl Rominger, cited questionable court decisions during the trial as grounds for appeal.

"The judge was very fair to us on many levels, but there were a lot of unique legal issues where he made rulings that could be overturned, not because they were, per se, wrong, but because the law in the area was so unclear," Rominger said.

He said "substantial constitutional questions" surrounded the prosecution's ability to use an accuser's claims based on hearsay alone. "All the convictions could come back on that ruling alone," Rominger said.

The attorney said Saturday that Sandusky has been placed on what is commonly known as suicide watch for his own safety. He is being held in protective custody, in an area separate from other inmates, as he awaits sentencing.

Praise for victims' 'inspiring courage'

The move is simply a precaution, Rominger told CNN. "The judge in this case and the warden in this case decided to take a measure not meant to suggest in any way that he is suicidal, but simply to put the precautions in place first and then evaluate later," he said.

Sandusky will be classified at Pennsylvania's Camp Hill diagnostic facility, Rominger said, before he is likely sent to one of the sex offender units in the state prison system.

"We have no immediate concerns" about his safety, he said.

Jurors delivered the verdict late Friday night after deliberating for 21 hours over two days. They brought convictions related to all 10 sexual abuse victims, with the three not-guilty verdicts applying to three different individuals.

Watch Sandusky be lead out of court

Sandusky lawyer: We felt under prepared

Reporter describes Sandusky's reaction

Sandusky stood slightly hunched, looking down with his hand in his pocket but showing no obvious emotion as the guilty verdicts were read out in court. His wife, Dottie, blinked back tears.

Judge John Cleland revoked Sandusky's bail and ordered his arrest.

As Sandusky left the courthouse in handcuffs, reporters asked if he had anything to say to the victims. The 68-year-old remained silent as he ducked into the back seat of a police car destined for the Centre County jail.

All you need to know about allegations, how case unfolded

Speaking Saturday morning, Rominger disputed reports that Sandusky had not reacted as the verdict came, saying he "could see tears running down his face" when he looked over at him.

As to Sandusky's current state of mind, he said the ex-coach had told him he was prepared to deal with whatever happened.

Sandusky has maintained a "stiff upper lip" through every setback, Rominger said, and "while he's saddened and disheartened, he's prepared to continue to fight."

He suggested Sandusky's lawyers had plenty of grounds on which to base that fight, adding that they had been given little time to prepare and no continuances. "We think with more time we could have developed a better defense," he said.

One of the jurors in the case, Joshua Harper, told NBC's "Today" show that the jury had been "on the same page" as it considered the case against Sandusky, and that all the witnesses had been "very credible."

"The fact that we saw this corroborating story between all of them, it was very convincing," he said.

The jurors had worked through any inconsistencies to be sure they were all satisfied with the decisions they reached, he said.

Harper said Sandusky's reaction as the verdict was given had been "just confirmation again you know. I looked at him during the reading of the verdict, and just the look on his face, no real emotion. Just kind of accepting because he knew it was true."

Outside the courtroom, Amendola told the gathered reporters: "The Sandusky family is very disappointed, obviously, by the verdict of the jury, but we respect their verdict." Jeering crowds occasionally interrupted his comments.

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in handcuffs after a jury found him guilty in his sex abuse trial on Friday, June 22.

Jerry Sandusky convicted

HIDE CAPTION

Photos: Jerry Sandusky convicted

At the same time, Amendola pointed to a "tidal wave of public opinion" against his client as one of several factors that led him to believe this outcome wasn't surprising.

"It was the expected outcome because of the overwhelming evidence against Jerry Sandusky," he said.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly expressed satisfaction in the jury's decision to hold the ex-coach accountable. She was especially thankful for the victims who testified, in some cases many years after they were abused.

"It was incredibly difficult for some of them to unearth long buried memories of (what) they had suffered," Kelly said. "This trial was not something that they sought, but rather something that forced them to face the demons of their past."

Back inside the courtroom, the young man identified in court documents as Victim 6 was in tears as he hugged prosecutors.

Sandusky should be sentenced in about 90 days, the judge said. Jurors did not speak with the media immediately after the verdict.

iReport: Share your reaction

The case has gripped the nation since last fall and led to the dismissal of legendary coach Joe Paterno and one of America's highest-paid university president, Graham Spanier.

The family of Paterno, who died in January, issued a statement Friday after the verdict.

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"Although we understand the task of healing is just beginning, today's verdict is an important milestone," the statement said. "The community owes a measure of gratitude to the jurors for their diligent service. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families."

The university, meanwhile, said it had "tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly."

"No verdict can undo the pain and suffering caused by Mr. Sandusky, but we do hope this judgment helps the victims and their families along their path to healing," Penn State said in a statement.

Penn State said it will invite the victims to participate in a program to facilitate resolution.

"The university wants to provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims' concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the University."

'The Sandusky 8' describe seduction, molestation and betrayal

The Sandusky case has infuriated the Penn State community, not just because of the heinous nature of the crimes, but also because the scandal has unfairly defined the university, students say.

"It's a relief. Now we can begin to heal," Penn State senior Karisa Maxwell said of the verdict. "I've never seen Jerry Sandusky. He has no affect on my education. For people to say he's Penn State is disgusting. That's not the case."

After a week of testimony, during which time witnesses graphically described sexual encounters with Sandusky that they said occurred during their boyhoods, jurors made their decision without ever having heard from Sandusky on the witness stand.

What Sandusky has said about child rape allegations

During closing arguments, prosecutors described the ex-Nittany Lions defensive coordinator as a pedophile who preyed on victims using a charity he founded for troubled children, repeatedly abusing young boys in his care.

The defense tried to pick apart the testimony of Mike McQueary, a former graduate assistant who testified that he witnessed Sandusky apparently sodomizing a boy in a university shower.

In a bombshell announcement Thursday evening, Matt Sandusky -- one of Jerry Sandusky's six adopted children -- said through his attorney that he was sexually abused by the former coach, adding that he had been prepared to testify against him.

Legal analysts say the accusation could bring additional charges, including incest charges, against the former coach.

The broader scandal has also brought charges against vice president Gary Schultz and former Athletic Director Tim Curley for perjury and failing to report the abuse.

Eight young men testified, often in disturbingly graphic detail, of how Sandusky forced them to engage in sexual acts in various places, including showers in the Penn State coaches' locker room, hotel rooms and the basement of his home.

On Tuesday, Sandusky's wife told jurors that she could remember at least six of her husband's accusers staying overnight at their house, but that she never witnessed sexual abuse.

The defense challenged the accusers' timetable, questioned the various allegations and called multiple character witness to defend Sandusky's stellar reputation in the community.

Though Friday night's verdict prompted cheers outside the courtroom, inside, the mother of Victim 6 did not claim victory.

"Nobody wins. We've all lost," she said before hugging her son.

CNN's Susan Candiotti, Elisa Roupenian, Ross Levitt, Jason Carroll, Dana Garrett, Laura Dolan, Holly Yan and Anderson Cooper and In Session's Michael Christian and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.