I love how the only argument I ever hear from coming the defense is that all these people are just looking for money. What a joke.
Yahoo- Just hours after the sex abuse
trial of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky wrapped up on
Thursday, his adopted son revealed that he had been "a victim of Jerry
Sandusky's abuse" and had offered to testify against his father.
It is unclear whether prosecutors were prepared to put Matt Sandusky on the stand. But NBC News
reports that Jerry Sandusky's defense team decided against having the
former coach testify on his own behalf after they learned that
prosecutors planned to call a new witness -- believed to be Matt
Sandusky.
Earlier Thursday, the jury of
seven women and five men began their deliberations on the 48 charges
levied against Sundusky. They are sequestered and there have been no
indication when they might deliver a verdict.
Those jurors heard both
Jerry Sandusky's defense attorney and the lead prosecutor in the case
deliver pointed closing arguments. Defense attorney Joe Amendola painted
the former coach as a man victimized by overagressive cops, social
works and even the media. In response, Deputy Attorney General Joseph E.
McGettigan III dismissed the concept that Jerry Sandusky was targeted
by anyone - an idea that would have required dozens of people to
conspire of more than a decade.
"It's not about conspiracies,
it's not about time-travel conspiracies, it's not about people making
financial fortunes," McGettigan said. "… It collapses under itself."
The explosive disclosure that
Matt Sandusky had offered to testify came following the release of a
statement from lawyers Andrew Shubin and Justine Andronici, who
represent two alleged victims of Jerry Sandusky.
"During the trial, Matt Sandusky
contacted us and requested our advice and assistance in arranging a
meeting with prosecutors to disclose for the first time in this case
that he is a victim of Jerry Sandusky's abuse," the statement reads.
"At Matt's request, we immediately arranged a meeting between him and
the prosecutors and investigators."
The statement continued: "This
has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us
to convey his request that the media respect his privacy."
Matt Sandusky moved into the Sandusky home when he was 11, having been
involved in Second Mile, the charity for troubled children founded by
Jerry Sandusky in 1977. Prosecutors have said Jerry Sandusky used Second
Mile to find his abuse victims. Earlier in the trial, it was disclosed
that Matt Sandusky's former wife, Jill Jones, sought a restraining order in
2011 to prevent her former father-in-law from hosting sleep-overs with
the couple's three young children.
The Associated Press also reported
that Matt Sandusky attempted to commit suicide in 1995, several months
after he moved into the Sandusky home. Matt Sandusky's biological
mother, Debra Long, has claimed that Jerry Sandusky effectively 'stole'
her son, and told a grand jury considering the charges against the
former coach that Matt was upset about staying with his adoptive father.
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