Judge John Cleland issued an order Wednesday denying another request by Jerry Sandusky's attorney to postpone jury selection. He wrote that this was the topic of a closed meeting held Tuesday involving key players in the trial.
Defense attorney Joe Amendola filed the request -- which was sealed to the public because it discussed secret grand jury matters, Cleland wrote in the order -- on May 25.
In the order, Cleland addressed many of Amendola's concerns about why the current date for jury selection, June 5, will hurt Sandusky's defense, but overall, he wrote "no date will necessarily present a better alternative."
Cleland wrote that since former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Interim Vice President for Business and Finance Gary Schutlz, who are also charged in connection with the case, will not testify before their own trials, there is "no reason to delay the trial on that basis."
Curley and Schultz are each charged with perjury and failure to report suspected abuse.
In Cleland's order, he wrote that Amendola argued that some expert witnesses or experts who will advise counsel during trial will not be available during the dates set, but Cleland wrote the trial cannot be pushed back to wait for their availability because the dates they will be available are uncertain.
He also wrote that the defense team is "assuredly capable" of going through discovery materials and the trial does not need to be delayed for that reason.
On Wednesday, Cleland also issued a decorum detailing the rules and regulations that will be in place during Sandusky's jury selection and trial.
The decorum states that jury selection will start on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. and the trial itself will not begin prior to June 11.
Five members of the public will be allowed inside "phase one" of jury selection and five "credentialed pool reporters" will also be allowed during this part. Two "credentialed pool reporters" will be allowed inside of "phase two" and one member of the public will be allowed.
During the trial, 85 members of the public and 85 members of the media will be allowed in to the courtroom Twenty seats will be reserved for the use of the Commonwealth, 16 for the use of the defense and 16 for the use of the court.
A satellite courtroom with a live feed of video and sound from the courtroom will be open to 100 credentialed reporters.
Thirty-eight seats in Courtroom 1 will be allocated to print media, 38 will be reserved for broadcast media, and 8 will be reserved for digital media sources. The annex courtroom will consist of 45 broadcast reporters, 45 print reporters and 10 digital reporters.
Only reporters will be allowed to bring electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops in to the courtroom, but such devices may not be used to take or transmit photographs inside of the courtroom.
