Pa. prosecutors appeal after Spanier’s conviction thrown out

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania prosecutors want an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to throw out the misdemeanor child-endangerment conviction of former Penn State President Graham Spanier.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today a notice of appeal was filed with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

A federal magistrate judge on April 30 gave prosecutors three months to retry Spanier under a version of the law in place in 2001.

That’s when Spanier was involved in responding to a complaint about Jerry Sandusky showering with a boy. Sandusky was convicted of child molestation in 2012.

Spanier’s defense attorney Sam Silver declined comment.

The judge ruled one day before the 70-year-old Spanier had been due to begin serving a minimum sentence of two months, followed by two months of house arrest.