BELLEFONTE, PA — Convicted former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is scheduled to return to court in Centre County for an evidentiary hearing, where one of his primary trial accusers is expected to recant his testimony.
The hearing, granted under Pennsylvania’s Post-Conviction Relief Act (PCRA), is scheduled to take place at the Centre County Courthouse.
Recantation & Hearing Details
The upcoming proceeding centers on newly surfaced evidence regarding the individual identified during the 2012 trial as "Victim 10" (identified in court filings as R.R. or Michael Rittmeyer).
- Affidavit Claims: In an affidavit obtained by defense investigators, the accuser states that Sandusky did not sexually abuse him. He alleges that investigators and prosecutors repeatedly encouraged him during the pre-trial process to believe he was abused, suggesting that trauma had fragmented his memories.
- Witness List: The judge has limited the scope of the hearing strictly to the recantation. Witnesses expected to testify include the recanting accuser, his estranged wife, the defense investigator who secured the statement, and former lead trial prosecutor Frank Fina.
Potential Legal Impact
Sandusky, now 82, is serving a 30-to-60-year state prison sentence following his June 2012 conviction on 45 of 48 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys.
While Sandusky’s defense team continues to pursue efforts to overturn his convictions, state legal experts note that recanted testimony in long-settled cases carries a high legal threshold. If the presiding judge finds the new testimony credible and material to the outcome of the trial, it could potentially result in a sentence reduction or an order for a new trial.
