Sandusky to proclaim innocence in court: Lawyer

Former Penn State defensive coach Jerry Sandusky will address the courtroom and proclaim his innocence when he is sentenced Tuesday in his child sex abuse case, lawyer Joe Amendola told CBS News.

Sandusky, 68, was convicted in June on 45 counts of child sexual abuse for molesting 10 boys over 15 years after meeting them through a charity for at-risk children.

Nobody else is expected to speak on Sandusky's behalf during the sentencing hearing Tuesday in Bellefonte, Amendola said, according to The Associated Press.

"What I anticipate he'll say is that he's innocent," Amendola said outside the courthouse.

The attorney said others, including Sandusky's wife, have submitted letters on his behalf and that Dottie Sandusky stands by her husband and will attend the sentencing.

"He's going to fight for a new trial," Amendola said. He said "the important thing" about sentencing for the defense "is it starts the appellate process."

Amendola made the comments Monday afternoon before he participated in a closed-door meeting with prosecutors and Judge John Cleland to discuss hearing logistics.

The AP reported Sunday that Amendola said Sandusky, who has been housed in isolation inside the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte, Pa., has spent his days preparing a statement for his sentencing, reading and writing and working out twice a day.

Tuesday's sentencing will begin with Cleland determining whether Sandusky qualifies as a sexually violent predator, a status that would require lifetime registration if he is ever paroled.

Several jurors who convicted Sandusky told the AP that they believed the former defensive coordinator should be sent to prison for life. Four jurors said they planned to be in the courtroom when Sandusky is sentenced.

Sandusky didn't testify during his trial.

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If Sandusky is sentenced to a long state prison term, he will find himself far removed from the comfortable suburban life he once led, placed under the many rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

Even Sandusky's own attorney believes that whatever sentence he gets, Sandusky will likely live out his days inside a state prison.

Assuming Cleland gives him at least two years -- the minimum threshold for a state prison sentence -- Sandusky's first stop will be the Camp Hill state prison near Harrisburg, where all male inmates undergo a couple weeks of testing to determine such things as mental and physical health, education level and any treatment needs.

Prison officials will assign him a security level risk and decide which "home prison" to send him to.

Older inmates sometimes end up at Laurel Highlands, which can better treat more severe medical problems, or Waymart, a comparatively lower-security prison in the state's northeastern corner.

The roughly 6,800 sex offenders are scattered throughout the prison system, which has no special units for them. Treatment is available for sex offenders, and those who hope to be paroled must participate.

"My guess is he'll wind up in a minimum-security facility, and probably a facility for nonviolent people," Amendola said.

The state will provide him with clothes, shoes and bedding, and the first set of toiletries. He'll be able to bring a wedding ring without gemstones, a basic watch worth $50 or less, eyeglasses and dentures. Sandusky uses a machine for sleep apnea and takes medications.

He'll be able to watch college football, including Penn State, when the games are broadcast on ESPN or another major network.

Sandusky, a regular attendee at a Methodist church in State College, will be able to go to religious services.

Visiting rules vary by institution, but all visits last at least an hour, and facilities generally allow two or three visits per week, with five to eight visitors allowed at once. Inmates can have up to 40 people on their visiting list.

If Sandusky writes a book, state law will prevent him from making any money off of it.