Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury convicted him on 45 of 48 counts related to sexual abuse of boys, ending a painful chapter for victims and the entire university.
But the ordeal is not over, as Sandusky’s defense team announced plans to appeal despite the mountain of convictions against their client.
“If you win on one of the appeal issues, everything probably falls,” attorney Joe Amendola said. “So all we have to do is convince an appellate court that one of the issues that we will raise is worthy of a reversal. … It doesn’t matter, it could be 100 counts, and it would still all come back if an appeal is granted.”
Jurors delivered the verdict late Friday night after deliberating for 21 hours over two days. They brought convictions related to all 10 sexual abuse victims, with the three not-guilty verdicts applying to three different individuals.
Sandusky stood slightly hunched, looking down with his hand in his pocket but showing no obvious emotion as the guilty verdicts were read out in court. His wife, Dottie, blinked back tears.
Judge John Cleland revoked Sandusky’s bail and ordered his arrest.
As Sandusky left the courthouse in handcuffs, reporters asked if he had anything to say to the victims. The 68-year-old remained silent as he ducked into the back seat of a police car destined for the Centre County jail.
