BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WHTM) -
Defense attorneys rested their case at the Jerry Sandusky child
sexual abuse trial Wednesday morning without calling the former Penn
State assistant football coach to the witness stand.
Judge John
Cleland dismissed the jury shortly before noon after prosecutors said
they had no additional witnesses. The court will reconvene at 9 a.m.
Thursday for closing arguments.
ABC News reported that Sandusky was willing to testify in his own
defense and that his lawyers were leaning toward the unusual tactic until this morning, when they overruled the ex-coach and decided that he would not testify.
Amendola in his opening statement hinted that jurors would hear from Sandusky at some point, and legal analysts have that said not putting Sandusky on the stand could have a negative effect on the jury since many of them likely were expecting to hear from the ex-coach given Amendola's remark.
Sandusky was not legally bound to testify, and many legal analysts said putting the ex-coach on the stand would be the equivalent of a "Hail Mary" pass. In his pre-trial interviews, most notably with NBC's Bob Costas, many believe Sandusky did little to help his case in the court of public opinion. Some predicted "disaster" for the defense if Sandusky were to be cross-examined by prosecutors.
Sandusky's wife, Dottie, testified Tuesday that she never saw her husband do anything inappropriate. She also attacked the credibility of some of his accusers.
The 68-year-old Sandusky could spend the rest of his life in state prison if convicted. He is fighting 51 criminal counts for alleged abuse of 10 boys over 15 years.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations Thursday afternoon and will remain sequestered while they determine Sandusky's fate.
