Accused child molester Jerry Sandusky will get to spend time with some of his grandchildren.
Judge John Cleland wrote in his ruling Monday that eight of Sandusky’s 11 grandchildren will be able to visit him while he is under house arrest. However, another court will have to decide whether Sandusky can see his three other grandchildren.
Those three children are locked in a custody battle. Cleland deferred the decision to the judge handling the child custody case. Sandusky’s daughter-in-law does not want her children around the accused child molester. She was even granted a protective order prohibiting Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach facing 52 counts of child molestation, from visiting with the children shortly after the scandal broke.
READ MORE: Cleland's ruling allowing Sandusky to see his grandchildren
Cleland also made several other rulings:
The prosecution requested that Sandusky be prohibited from loitering outside his house because it happens to be near an elementary school. Cleland denied the prosecution’s request despite evidence that Sandusky’s neighbors are alarmed by seeing him outside of his home.
READ MORE: Shocking details from the Penn State grand Jury report
“The generalized concerns of parents, while understandable, cannot justify additional bail restrictions in the absence of some evidence from the Commonwealth that the Defendant’s presence or behavior on his deck presents a danger to the community,” wrote Cleland.
Cleland also ruled that Sandusky can have adult visitors at his home if the Centre County, Pennsylvania Adult Probation Department approves them beforehand and Sandusky can leave his home with his defense team if the probation department approves it in advance.
READ MORE: The Sandusky scandal documents
In another major ruling Monday, Cleland denied the prosecution’s request to select the jury pool from another county. Prosecutors have raised concerns about finding an unbiased jury in the same county that encompasses Penn State University. But that could change.
“It is certainly obvious, however, that jury selection will present its challenges and if, after reasonable attempt it is apparent that a jury cannot be selected within a reasonable time, then I will reconsider this ruling,” wrote Cleland.
READ MORE: Judge Cleland’s ruling denying the prosecution’s request to select the jury pool from another county
Join the conversation...