Hearing set on claims by Sandusky lawyers

A judge on Thursday ordered a hearing for this month at which Jerry Sandusky's lawyers can try to prove his claims that prosecutors lied, withheld evidence, and leaked secret grand jury information in a bid to find additional victims of sexual abuse by the former football coach.

Judge John Cleland said the May 20 hearing would "provide the defense with an opportunity to prove" claims as it seeks to overturn the verdicts against the former Pennsylvania State University assistant coach or win a new trial.

A subject of the hearing will be a statement in the closing argument by prosecutor Joe McGettigan that referred to "others unknown to us, to others presently known to God but not to us."

Cleland said Sandusky could try to prove that McGettigan was referring to the young man known at trial as Victim 2, who was never named, did not testify, and had been the topic of testimony by another former assistant coach, Mike McQueary, who said he saw Sandusky attacking Victim 2 in a team shower.

The judge said Sandusky, 72, could try to show that McGettigan's reference to "unknown" victims was a lie; and the defense can try to show the reference was to Victim 2, whom the prosecution knew and who was the same man who has since settled a civil lawsuit with Penn State. - AP