All 5 Centre County Court judges withdraw from Sandusky case

All five Centre County Court judges recused themselves Tuesday from the sex-abuse case against former Pennsylvania State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Citing past relationships with the university and Sandusky's charity, the Second Mile, the judges asked state court administrators to appoint an outside jurist "to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest due to real or perceived connections to the defendant."

John M. Cleland - a retired McKean County judge who recently led a state investigation into the Luzerne County "kids-for-cash" scandal - will hear the case, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said Tuesday. Judge Kathy A. Morrow, whose jurisdiction includes Perry and Juniata Counties in central Pennsylvania, will handle preliminary motions.

"Neither judge has any known connections with the defendant, the Pennsylvania State University or the Second Mile charity, nor any officers or representatives of those entities," the office said in a statement.

The decision comes as state prosecutors and Sandusky's defense prepare for a preliminary hearing next month in which discussions of prior judicial conflicts of interest could enter the debate.

Last week, court administrators removed District Judge Leslie Dutchcot of Centre County from presiding over further initial court proceedings amid questions over her past roles as a Second Mile donor and volunteer.

Dutchcot granted Sandusky a $100,000 unsecured bond during his arraignment Nov. 5 - allowing the former coach to leave the courtroom without putting down any collateral. State prosecutors had asked her to impose a $500,000 bond and electronic home monitoring.

District Judge Robert E. Scott of Westmoreland County, near Pittsburgh, is now expected to preside over the Dec. 13 hearing.

Sandusky's attorney, Joseph Amendola, said Tuesday in an interview with Good Morning America that he feared that prosecutors might try to use the appearance before Scott to bring new allegations against his client.

Since Sandusky's arrest, at least two more potential victims have emerged, and state police have fielded calls from dozens more on a hotline set up for information on the case.

"My concern is, if they bring new charges based upon new people coming forward, that bail's going to be set and he's going to wind up in jail," Amendola said.

Centre County's judges worried that they could face the same criticism as Dutchcot once the case moved into the trial phase.

All five have had some relationship with Penn State, the county's largest employer, or the Second Mile, one of its most prominent charities.

President Judge David E. Grine has volunteered for the Second Mile in the past and teaches a class on the American court system at Penn State, according to fliers distributed during his reelection campaign this year.

Judge Bradley P. Lunsford has donated parts of his estate through a living trust to the Second Mile, according to the organization's 2010 annual report. He also recently made a $500 donation to the charity on behalf of the State College Elks Club.

And just last month, Judge Thomas King Kistler granted a request from the mother of two of Sandusky's grandchildren requiring supervised visits when the children were in the former coach's presence.

The judges declined to comment on Cleland's appointment.

The other two judges are Charles C. Brown Jr., who appeared regularly on Penn State's call-in radio show with ousted President Graham B. Spanier, and Pamela A. Ruest, who helped raise funds for Penn State's women's basketball team.

Sandusky is accused of molesting at least eight boys he met through the Second Mile between 1994 and 2009. He has denied all 40 criminal counts against him.