As many people in Minneapolis know, Jerry Sandusky is currently standing trial for alleged sexual abuse of eight individuals. In Minnesota and elsewhere, being accused of sex crimes is extremely serious. For example, if Sandusky is convicted on all 51 counts, he could be sentenced to more than 500 years in prison. That is why it is extremely important to find a strong criminal defense attorney who will work hard to clear a suspect’s name.
In a recent move, Sandusky’s attorneys have started to question the interviewing tactics of two of the state troopers involved in the Sandusky investigation. They have said that one of the troopers was feeding one of the accusers his allegations after he explained what all of the other accusers had alleged happened before asking the man being interviewed what happened. Coaching a witness or accuser can cast doubt on the prosecutor’s case against Sandusky.
In addition to questioning troopers about their methods of interviewing and investigation, the criminal defense attorneys recently had a psychologist testify to Sandusky’s mental health. After speaking with him for several hours, viewing some of the evidence of the case and reading Sandusky’s memoir, the psychologist has diagnosed him with a histrionic personality disorder. This mental health issue means that Sandusky is frequently acting in a way to get attention. At times, his personality disorder may force him to act in a sexually seductive way.
With the threat of a 500 year sentence over his head, it only makes sense that Sandusky’s criminal defense lawyers are mounting a strong defense against these sex crime charges. Without such a defense, there is the potential for a wrongful conviction.
Source: Reuters, “Psychologist in trial says Sandusky has personality disorder,” Ian Simpson and Matt Morgan, June 19, 2012
