Anybody Else Willing to Represent Jerry Sandusky?

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Because, although I'm not a criminal-defense attorney, I'm not sure this guy is doing such a great job. To be fair, I guess at least one of these three decisions is not terrible:

  • First, he allowed his client to talk to the media, which I did not think went well at all. (The lawyer has since admitted it was "awkward.")
  • Second, he advised his client to waive his preliminary hearing on Tuesday morning, which seems to be causing a lot of angst but which some defense attorneys have said was "not surprising." Many of his accusers were likely to testify and the prosecution's burden of proof is much lower than at trial anyway, so why bother?
  • Third, he (Sandusky's lawyer) talked to the media after the non-hearing. Personally, I would avoid comment in a situation like that, especially in a case like this.

See, the problem isn't really the talking itself, it's the content of what you might say, and the longer you talk, the more likely you are to make a mistake. Joe Amendola reportedly talked to the press for almost an hour, which was at least one minute too long: ridiculing the possibility that witnesses saw what they claimed to have seen and yet did nothing, Amendola said that if you believe that, "I suggest you dial 1-800-REALITY."

According to Deadspin.com, if you do that you will hear a message starting with the words, "Hey guys, welcome to the hottest place for triple-X action." Because 1-800-REALITY is reportedly a phone-sex line.

Also awkward.

The line apparently costs 99 cents per minute, and I'm starting to think that's what Amendola should be charging, too.