It's D-Day for Jerry Sandusky

Jury selection begins today in sexual abuse trial
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 5, 2012 8:12 AM CDT
It's D-Day for Jerry Sandusky
Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, left, arrives with his attorney Joe Amendola, right, for the first day of jury selection.   (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

And so it officially begins: Jerry Sandusky, who faces dozens of charges of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years while working with one of the most storied sports programs in the US, arrived today for the start of a trial that he repeatedly tried to delay. Jury selection is set to begin in the case against the 68-year-old Sandusky, the former assistant Penn State football coach.

The proceedings will take place about 10 miles from the campus, and picking 12 people to decide his fate could prove a monumental task in a Pennsylvania region where practically everyone went to the university, works there, knows someone there, or is a fan of the football team. Prosecutors were so concerned that they asked Judge John Cleland to bring in prospective jurors from another county. Cleland rejected the request but said he would reconsider if a jury isn't selected in a reasonable amount of time. Another thing Cleland rejected: anonymity for Sandusky's accusers. (More Jerry Sandusky stories.)

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