Could Sandusky Get A New Trial?

STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - Our legal analyst says the odds of Jerry Sandusky speaking on Thursday are slim, unless he's personally learned something new on his own. He thinks Sandusky is a long shot to get a new trial.

WTAJ Legal Analyst Tony Deboef says typically in an evidentiary hearing, the judge will listen to legal arguments and claims. He'll then set a deadline for a legal brief from the defense explaining on why they deserve a new trial.

"After those have been filed usually that's a 30-60 day time. The judge will look at everything and write an opinion. Generally it's a month or two after the brief is filed."

Best case scenario for Sandusky's team is they'd get a new trial. The worst case? That all their motions get denied.

Deboef thinks the defenses best shot is to prove that they didn't have enough time to prepare and didn't get continuances to delay the trial. Continuances are commonly given. Sandusky's defense team told WTAJ one of their paralegals got sick which set them back. Then a copier broke which
made them lose days of work. And they claim that they didn't get some police reports until right before the trial.

"It'll be a lot of putting everything out there and hoping something rings true."

Penn State Junior Emily Burke says that if she'd be happy to never hear Sandusky's name again.

"I was kind of hoping that it would be over with but I guess no luck... We feel really bad about the victims, and none of us support Jerry Sandusky, he's not one of us at all."

PSU Freshman Peter Steinegger says it's a shared feeling among fellow students.

"Every year was definitely deserved for him, that would just be ridiculous... He's deserved everything that he got for sure."

When a decision is reached, it'll be released to the public without the need for a hearing. Deboef says he doesn't expect to hear anything concrete for months.

Deboef says if Sandusky were to be granted a new trial, it would be the most surprising thing he's seen in your legal career. He doesn't think the judge will make a ruling on Thursday, but may indicate the way he's leaning.