Sandusky hearing leaves issues

BELLEFONTE — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's lawyer said after a short pretrial hearing Thursday that he expected the presiding judge to soon dismiss defense motions to have the child sexual abuse charges thrown out, but he hoped he would allow them to be refiled after more evidence is disclosed by prosecutors.

During a 20-minute hearing attended by the retired defensive coordinator and his wife, Sandusky defense attorney Joe Amendola withdrew his attempt to prevent the attorney general's office from using at trial secretly recorded conversations between Sandusky and two of the 10 boys he is accused of sexually abusing.

Judge John Cleland said it would probably be next week before he makes any rulings on the set of issues that are being ironed out before Sandusky's trial on 52 child sexual abuse counts, which is scheduled to start in early June.

Amendola said Cleland told lawyers during a private session in chambers after the hearing that remaining matters should be addressed with a filing by mid-May.

Prosecutor Joe McGettigan said he was looking forward to having the accusers offer their stories in sworn courtroom testimony. He was dismissive of Sandusky's claim that the charges lack specificity.

Amendola disclosed that prosecutors have provided him with thousands of pages of material.