CENTRE COUNTY, Pa.– Judge John Cleland has recused himself from the Jerry Sandusky case. Cleland has presided over the case since 2011.
Sandusky is a former Penn State assistant football coach that was convicted of of sexually abusing 10 boys in 2012. He is currently serving a 30-60 year sentence in prison. Sandusky has a new set of lawyers trying to get his conviction overturned. Sandusky’s legal team has asked Cleland to recuse himself previously and Cleland rejected the motion. Defense attorneys cite a meeting Sandusky’s original attorney had with the judge and prosecutors in December of 2011 as evidence of Sandusky not getting a fair trial. They allege Cleland pressured Attorney Joe Amendola to forgo a preliminary hearing. Cleland strongly disputes that assertion, among others, made by Sandusky’s attorney, Al Lindsay.
In a 17-page release, Cleland outlines his reasons for recusing himself.
“The defendant’s attorneys have impugned the competence and integrity of essentially everyone associated with the grand jury’s investigation into the defendant’s conduct, the defendant’s trial and conviction, and these post-conviction proceedings,” wrote Cleland. “Now they have chosen to impugn the integrity of the court itself.”
Cleland says he would rather step away, and “err on the side of demonstrating fairness,” rather than having doubt cast about the impartiality of the court.
The full release
