Sandusky jury seated; trial starts Monday

Associated Press

BELLEFONTE, PA.

A jury dominated by people with Penn State loyalties was selected Wednesday to decide Jerry Sandusky’s fate in the child sexual abuse scandal that rocked the university and led to football coach Joe Paterno’s downfall.

The seven women and five men who will hear opening statements on Monday include an engineering administrative assistant at Penn State, a dance teacher in the continuing education program and a professor who has been on the faculty for 24 years.

Sandusky, a 68-year-old former assistant football coach, is charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year span.

Picking the jury took less than two days, moving along more swiftly than some had expected, given that the rural area is rich with Penn State employees, alumni and fans. Bellefonte is 12 miles from Penn State’s campus in State College.

The judge, however, said Penn State connections would not automatically disqualify potential jurors as long as they could pledge to be impartial. Eight of the 12 jurors and two of the four alternates have ties to Penn State.

Some legal experts said jurors with Penn State connections might be inclined to come down hard on Sandusky, blaming him for Paterno’s firing and the damage to the school’s reputation. Or they might take their frustrations out on prosecutors for bringing the case in the first place.

“In one sense, you worry about, this guy was for many years of his life a hero of that community, an idol,” said St. Vincent College law professor Bruce Antkowiak, referring to Sandusky’s role as founder of an acclaimed charity for youngsters.

“On the other hand, there’s also the consideration that there are people who believe this guy betrayed so much of what gave this institution and this area so much of the character and innocence that we love, that he has besmirched it in such a profound way.”