New Trial Is β€œLong Shot”: Sandusky Attorney

Joe Amendola testified he didn't have enough time to properly prepare for trial, but said in cross-examination that he doesn't think it would have changed his defense

Jerry Sandusky stepped out of the back of a police car on his way into court Thursday, looking more pale and thin than the last time we saw him.

This also could be the last time we ever see Sandusky in public.

The former Penn State assistant football coach, who was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse, entered court with a large grin, saying "Hi there" to his family and friends.

During the hearing, he continually waved to his wife, Dottie.

Sandusky is working to get a new trial, and the lawyer helping with his appeal, Norris Gelman, is arguing that defense attorney Joe Amendola wasn't given enough time to property prepare for trial.

"You can't take 64 to 65,000 pages and give them to a lawyer and say, 'OK now, start the trial real soon.' You have to give a lawyer time to work with it and time to digest it and you can't force a lawyer to trial when he's flying blind," Gelman said.

Amendola took the stand as a witness, telling the judge he only had seven months to prepare Sandusky's defense and was forced to go on trial too soon.

However, during cross examination, Amendola admitted he didn't find anything in that discovery material that would have changed the way he defensed Sandusky.

But Gelman says that's not the point and is arguing that Sandusky was prejudice by a rush to trial. He described the attempt for a new trial as a long shot, but says it's a shot he's going to take.

"I'm not throwing the ball across the court, I'm not throwing it from half court," Gelman said. "It's a long three-pointer and some of those go in."

If the judge rules against Sandusky, the next step would be the Superior Court.

"There is no doubt in my mind that when Judge Cleland rules, he's going to rule that the trial was fair, and he's going to send this off to Superior Court," said attorney Tom Kline, who predicts there will be no reversal.

A ruling is expected to come within the next 30 days.

If the case heads to the next level, Jerry Sandusky would not make an appearance in Superior Court, which is why this may have been his last time in public.

"He was in good spirits today. He's doing very well, he's resilient and he's handling prison nicely," said Gelman after the hearing.

Sandusky currently spends 23 hours a day inside a prison cell for solitary confinement, although he is allowed a television.

He is allowed two phone calls a month and his wife is allowed to visit once a month.

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