BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - The judge overseeing Jerry Sandusky's trial said it's likely that defense lawyers will rest by Wednesday and that jurors could be deliberating the 51 child sex abuse charges against the former Penn State assistant football coach a day later.
Judge John Cleland told jurors of the tentative timeline after Sandusky's legal team called three witnesses Wednesday. All three say he was an admired local figure because of his ties to Penn State and the outreach of his charity, The Second Mile.
Afterward, court was recessed for the day to deal with what Cleland called a "technical issue" involving other witnesses.
After the proceedings ended for the day, when asked if he would testify, Sandusky looked a reporter in the eye and said nothing.
Cleland also told jurors they will be sequestered for deliberations.
Earlier, prosecutors dropped one of the 52 counts against Sandusky, saying the statute he was charged under did not apply at the time of the alleged illegal contact. The encounter involved in the charge occurred in 1995 or 1996, but prosecutors said the statute didn't apply until 1997.
More counts related to the accuser dubbed Victim 7 by prosecutors are still pending.
Sandusky denies the charges.
The mother of one of Jerry Sandusky's alleged victims testified her son's underwear was frequently missing from the laundry and he claimed he'd thrown it away because he had an accident.
The mother of the teen called Victim 9 by prosecutors was the last witness called Monday before the state attorney general's office rested its case against the former Penn State assistant football coach.
The woman's son testified Thursday that Sandusky had repeatedly forced him to have anal sex that resulted in bleeding. The teen testified that he "just dealt with it."
The defense began presenting its case by calling former Penn State assistant coach Dick Anderson.
Sandusky's lawyer suggested to jurors that he may testify, but that's a risk that defense lawyers are normally reluctant to take.
Another potential witness is Sandusky's wife, Dottie, who's been sequestered since the trial began a week ago.
The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant coach is charged with the sexual abuse of 10 boys over 15 years, allegations he denies. He faces 52 counts.
Jurors have already heard from 20 prosecution witnesses, including eight young men who say he sexually abused them as children.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Jerry Sandusky, left, leaves the Centre County Courthouse and walks toward his attorney Joe Amendola's car Thursday, June 14, 2012, in Bellefonte, Pa. (AP Photo)
