Jerry Sandusky was willing to testify in his own defense, but his lawyers overruled him today and decided that Sandusky will not testify in his own trial on 51 charges of child sex abuse.
The lawyer had said Tuesday evening that they were leaning towards the unusual tactic of having Sandusky take the stand, but left the decision for today.
This morning Sandusky and his legal team left the courtroom to confer on a final decision, but emerged with the decision to keep Sandusky off the stand.
It would have been a gamble to put Sandusky on the stand because it would then open him up to withering cross examination by the prosecutor.
Sandusky, 68, is charged with 51 counts of sex abuse against 10 boys. If convicted he could be sentenced to life in prison.
People in Bellefonte, Pa., lined up outside of the Centre County courthouse as early as 3:30 a.m. today to get one of the extra folding chairs that have been set up in the back of the court in hopes that former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky will take the stand on the final day of testimony in his child sex abuse trial.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Former Penn State assistant football coach... View Full Size
Sandusky Sex Abuse Trial: Defense Case Watch Video
Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Trial: Will He Testify? Watch Video
Jerry Sandusky Trial: Wife to Testify? Watch Video
"I've been following it because I'm interested in the effects on Penn State," said Jillian Damus, 17, a high school student from State College. "Of course I want to see Jerry Sandusky testify. He hasn't done a very good job so far."
The defense is expected to conclude their case this morning, following a day of strong testimony in their favor in which the accounts of two lead investigators were called into question and the testimony of Sandusky's wife was unwavering in its denial of sexual abuse.
"The community needs to know what happened," said Gerneylee Carter, 58, of Bellefonte. "There was a major breach of trust, and it's not going to be restored until we know what happened. I was here all last week and I'm usually here at 6:30 a.m."
Carter and dozens of other members of the public, from towns as close as Bellefonte and as far away as Pittsburgh and San Francisco and Florida filed into the courtroom ahead of an early 8:30 a.m. start today.
For some local residents, the flood of media attention and security officials has been as intriguing as it is annoying. A high-profile case in another courtroom at the courthouse, involving three Russian men on trial for 40 armed robberies, has brought out police and sheriff's officers decked in full riot gear, toting rifles on rooftops and outside of court as the men on trial enter and leave each day. The spectacle has drawn out as many locals watching from benches along High Street and North Allegheny Street here as members of the public filing into court.
"It's winding down now," Mitch Bradley, a business owner in Bellefonte, said on his way into court. "I want to take in what's going on here, it's a big deal for little Bellefonte. I can't wait until it's over, though, to have our parking spaces back."
The lawyer had said Tuesday evening that they were leaning towards the unusual tactic of having Sandusky take the stand, but left the decision for today.
This morning Sandusky and his legal team left the courtroom to confer on a final decision, but emerged with the decision to keep Sandusky off the stand.
It would have been a gamble to put Sandusky on the stand because it would then open him up to withering cross examination by the prosecutor.
Sandusky, 68, is charged with 51 counts of sex abuse against 10 boys. If convicted he could be sentenced to life in prison.
People in Bellefonte, Pa., lined up outside of the Centre County courthouse as early as 3:30 a.m. today to get one of the extra folding chairs that have been set up in the back of the court in hopes that former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky will take the stand on the final day of testimony in his child sex abuse trial.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Former Penn State assistant football coach... View Full Size
Sandusky Sex Abuse Trial: Defense Case Watch Video
Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Trial: Will He Testify? Watch Video
Jerry Sandusky Trial: Wife to Testify? Watch Video
"I've been following it because I'm interested in the effects on Penn State," said Jillian Damus, 17, a high school student from State College. "Of course I want to see Jerry Sandusky testify. He hasn't done a very good job so far."
The defense is expected to conclude their case this morning, following a day of strong testimony in their favor in which the accounts of two lead investigators were called into question and the testimony of Sandusky's wife was unwavering in its denial of sexual abuse.
"The community needs to know what happened," said Gerneylee Carter, 58, of Bellefonte. "There was a major breach of trust, and it's not going to be restored until we know what happened. I was here all last week and I'm usually here at 6:30 a.m."
Carter and dozens of other members of the public, from towns as close as Bellefonte and as far away as Pittsburgh and San Francisco and Florida filed into the courtroom ahead of an early 8:30 a.m. start today.
For some local residents, the flood of media attention and security officials has been as intriguing as it is annoying. A high-profile case in another courtroom at the courthouse, involving three Russian men on trial for 40 armed robberies, has brought out police and sheriff's officers decked in full riot gear, toting rifles on rooftops and outside of court as the men on trial enter and leave each day. The spectacle has drawn out as many locals watching from benches along High Street and North Allegheny Street here as members of the public filing into court.
"It's winding down now," Mitch Bradley, a business owner in Bellefonte, said on his way into court. "I want to take in what's going on here, it's a big deal for little Bellefonte. I can't wait until it's over, though, to have our parking spaces back."