BELLEFONTE -- Jerry Sandusky was back in court Friday for an appeals hearing.
Sandusky's lawyers are fighting to get his charges dismissed, or a new trial.
Judge John Foradora put it simply: this court proceeding is like being at a Big Ten office reviewing the game. This is a chance to look back at the 2012 trial to see what mistakes were made and a chance to prove lawfully there should be a new trial.
Years after his child sex abuse trial, former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky walked back into the Centre County Courthouse with a smile.
He's fighting to get his charges dismissed, or a new trial. This time Sandusky is appearing before a new judge.
Judge John Foradora from Jefferson County was called in after the original judge recused himself from the case back in the fall.
"Let's just put it this way. This judge that we have is interested in the case; he has an interest in history," said Sandusksy's appeal attorney Al Lindsay.
He blames the defense attorney at his trial in 2012 for his conviction.
The morning began with testimony from that attorney, Joseph Amendola. He spoke with Newswatch 16 after the hearing
"It's painful. It's like there is no end to it," said Amendola. "It's five and a half years removed, going into five this summer, I guess, and it's like it never ends."
To get a new trial, Sandusky's team needs to prove Amendola made professional mistakes. Amendola admits his team had little time to prepare.
"My belief would be that Jerry deserves a fair trial and his counsel needed more time, whoever that counsel would be," Amendola said.
Other testimony came from a psychologist and state troopers who have worked with a few of the victims. They were all asked questions about repressed memory.
"Where people are remembering things they didn't remember in psychotherapy and also suggestive questioning, that's where police officers question people and we think the proverbial, 'put words in their mouth,'" said Lindsay.
No decision was made Friday.
Others, including Sandusky, are expected to give their testimony before a decision is made.
The next court hearing is scheduled for May 11 in Bellefonte.
