Opening statements wrapped up just before noon in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse trial. The lead prosecutor told jurors this is a case of a serial predator. The defense pleaded with jurors to wait until all evidence is heard before making up their mind, not to just listen to the story of the alleged victims.
11:40 a.m.UPDATE: The Defense
Defense attorney Joe Amendola began his opening statement by telling jurors, "Ladies and gentlemen let me say this, there are no victims in this case. The only time there are victims in this case is if you listen to all the evidence, hear all the arguments and you determine beyond a reasonable doubt that Jerry Sandusky is guilty."
Amendola told jurors they will hear testimony from those who got help from The Second Mile. That is Sandusky's organization for disadvantaged kids where prosecutors say he met all of his victims. Amendola said other young men will testify that they were showered with gifts and attention just like the alleged victims, but nothing was ever sexual.
Amendola spent much of his opening statement ripping apart the credibility of key witness for the prosecution, Mike McQueary. Prosecutors have said that McQueary witnessed Sandusky raping a boy in a shower on the Penn State campus. McQueary is a former assistant coach.
Amendola made the case to jurors that McQueary never said he saw anal rape. Amendola made the case McQueary is just assuming that's what he saw. He told jurors four grown men who McQueary told about what he saw were never told about rape, Tim Curley, Gary Shultz, Joe Paterno and McQueary's father. Prosecutors allege Curley and Shultz were told about the rape and then lied about it.
Amendola also hinted that he will be attacking the credibility of the alleged victims who are set to testify for the prosecution. He reminded jurors that they are all from the Second Mile and that they are all from troubled homes.
Much of Amendola's opening statement was also spent praising the good that he says Sandusky did with The Second Mile.
Amendola pleaded with jurors to wait until they hear all evidence before making up their minds on this case.
Court is adjourned until the afternoon when we are expected to hear testimony from at least one victim.
10:45 a.m. UPDATE, The Prosecution
One by one, lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan showed photos of eight smiling boys to the jurors, photos of the alleged victims at the age he says they were victimized by Jerry Sandusky. McGettigan explained to the jurors that they will hear from young men who are now older than the photos on the screen before them. But the prosecutor told the jurors they must remember when those victims testify, they will be telling the experiences they endured while they were kids.
McGettigan then put three words on a screen in front of the jury, what he says jurors must keep in mind about the state of mind of the boys as they were victimized. Those words were "Humiliation," "Shame" and "Fear." Then up on the screen went an equal sign and the word "Silence".
McGettigan told jurors that those three elements added up to years of silence from the victims, until a teenager at Central Mountain High School in Clinton County got older, got a sense of self and spoke out to school officials about the abuse.
The prosecutor went through boy by boy with the jurors and told them the kind of abuse they endured. He talked about that teenager from Clinton County having Sandusky perform oral sex on him dozens and dozens of times. He said the boy had to perform the oral sex on Sandusky dozens of times too.
He told jurors they will hear from eight of these victims telling similar stories. He talked about one victim who was abused for years and even said there was an incident at a hotel room while on a bowl trip where Sandusky was abusing the boy when his wife Dottie walked in and interrupted them.
McGettigan told jurors that all of the victims were met through Sandusky's organization for troubled boys, The Second Mile. But he explained The Second Mile is not on trial He said for many that was a great organization. He said even some of the victims will say good things about the organization. But, he said, the Second Mile is not on trial.
McGettigan said we will likely hear from the victim from Clinton County this afternoon or tomorrow.