Transcript: Great Deal Of Sandusky Evidence Unused
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A prosecutor in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case said a "great deal" of "highly incriminating" evidence wasn't presented to the jury that convicted him, according to a post-trial hearing transcript unsealed Wednesday.
Chief Deputy Attorney General Frank Fina did not offer details of the additional evidence at the hearing held four days after the former Penn State assistant football coach was convicted. But, Fina said, it wouldn't be Sandusky's best interest to have more information revealed.
"I'm talking about incriminating information beyond that which was presented during the trial," Fina told a judge. "There's a great deal of that in the discovery. Evidence that, for a variety of reasons, the commonwealth didn't utilized but was highly incriminating of Mr. Sandusky."
The hearing concerned an audio recording of Sandusky's adopted son, Matt, claiming he was abused by Sandusky as a boy after meeting the coach through his charity, The Second Mile.
Matt Sandusky's attorneys confirmed that a recording broadcast by NBC was their client making accusations of abuse to investigators even as Jerry Sandusky's trial was ongoing.
Other than Matt Sandusky's statement, attorneys on both sides do not discuss which specific pieces of evidence weren't presented at trial, according to the transcript.
Attorney general's office spokesman Nils Frederiksen declined to elaborate on the evidence, citing the ongoing investigation and a judge's order not to reveal information not raised at trial.
That information includes references to other possible victims, according to Fina's statements in the transcript. Court documents filed previously by Sandusky's attorneys make references to accusers 11 through 18, although the identities of only eight victims were raised at trial.
Sandusky was convicted June 22 on 45 criminal counts involving 10 victims — the eight named and two unknown victims — some of whom were abused on the Penn State campus. He remains behind bars awaiting sentencing, which is expected in September.
The Centre Daily Times reported Wednesday that the trial cost Centre County taxpayers almost $56,000, mostly in the form of overtime for sheriff's deputies who provided security for the high-profile proceedings. The cost is expected to increase with Sandusky's sentencing, but the county administrator said he'll ask for the attorney general's office to reimburse the county for those expenses.
Two high-ranking Penn State officials — Tim Curley and Gary Schultz — face charges of failure to report suspected child abuse to authorities and perjury. They maintain their innocence.
Lawyers for the former Penn State administrators will try to have the charges against them dismissed during a hearing on Thursday in Harrisburg.
The scandal that engulfed the university after Sandusky's arrest in November led to the firings of Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier.
A report conducted by former FBI Director Louis Freeh at the request of the university found that Curley, Schultz, Spanier and Paterno took part in covering up allegations against Sandusky to avoid bad publicity.
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