By Ian Simpson
Jan 30 (Reuters) - Former Pennsylvania State University
assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky lost his bid on Wedneday
for a new trial on child sex abuse charges.
Judge John Cleland rejected the request in an opinion posted
on the Centre County Court's website. Sandusky's attorneys had
argued they lacked enough time to prepare for the trial.
Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator, was convicted in
June on 45 counts of abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. He
was sentenced to a prison term of 30 years to 60 years in a case
that tarnished the reputation of late Penn State coach Joe
Paterno and focused national attention on child sexual abuse.
Cleland, who had presided over Sandusky's high-profile trial
in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania not far from State College, said
Sandusky's attorneys Joe Amendola and Karl Rominger had failed
to show that they had needed a continuance to be able to sift
potential evidence and to prepare.
"There was, in other words, no prejudice to the defendant by
denying defense counsel's motion for a continuance," he wrote.
Sandusky's attorneys also had argued that a new trial should
be held because of such issues as erroneous instructions to the
jury, lack of specificity in the charges and prosecutors'
comments on Sandusky's failure to testify at trial.
Cleland rejected those points as well.
A grand jury in November charged the university's former
president, Graham Spanier, with participating in a "conspiracy
of silence" to cover up Sandusky's behavior.
Two other officials, Athletic Director Tim Curley and
retired Vice President Gary Schultz, also face new charges of
child endangerment, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of
justice.
They were charged in November 2011 with failure to report
suspected abuse and perjury. Both have pleaded not guilty.
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