BELLEFONTE, Pa. - With over 200 prospective jurors the Sandusky case moves forward with the first phase of jury selection for the trial today. If all 12 jurors and alternates are selected in time, the trial will begin as soon as June 11.
The possible jurors were told by Judge John Cleland that they would not be sequestered, saying that he trusted they would not heed to the media attention surrounding the case. He told the potential jurors, "I am going to trust you to make that judgment, and I'm sure that judgment will not be misplaced," as reported by CBS News.
However, since jurors will be picked from the state of Pennsylvania, the huge media coverage has made it tricky to find indifferent persons to jury the trial. There has been support for both parties among the public.
There is speculation the case will not be easy for the 58-year-old Sandusky and his lawyer Joe Amendola who were faced with many hurdles before the trial, including the denial for an emergency application for extraordinary relief yesterday, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Earlier last month, the judge also rejected a request for delay.
Prosecutors have also had its share of glitches, yesterday Judge Cleland rejected victims request for anonymity ensuring that he will be sensitive to the details provided by the victims but will not keep their identities from the public. In other words, he said that the court will not take up the responsibility to protect the victims.
The case has been of keen public interest and is expected to grab great media attention.
Jerry Sandusky has been charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse and molestation of young boys during his reign as associate football coach at Penn State University. Prosecutors say that Sandusky had molested over 10 young boys over the span of 15 years. Sandusky has repeatedly denied all charges and claims not-guilty.
