About 24 hours before the start of jury selection in the Jerry Sandusky trial, presiding judge John Cleland ruled that those who say Sandusky abused them must use their real names during trial.
The court has protected the identities of the people who say Sandusky abused them thus far, but Cleland wrote in the order that "once the trial begins, the veil must be lifted."
Those referred to in the order as "victims numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7" had previously requested to use a pseudonym during court proceedings to conceal their identities. The person referred to as "Victim 6" also requested in a separate motion to use a pseudonym and Cleland denied his request as well.
Cleland said that while he will be "sensitive to the nature of the alleged victims' testimony," the request has no legal basis.
"Secrecy is not thought to be inconsistent with the openness required to assure the public that the law," Cleland said.
On Monday morning, Cleland also amended the original trial and jury selection decorum to ban electronic communication including live tweeting and posting from the courtroom or overflow room by reporters, which was originally permitted.
Reporters may bring electronic devices into the courtroom but may not use them to transmit information, under the new guidelines. The change comes after various "media entities" requested him to clarify his decorum -- specifically to determine if reporters may transmit verbatim quotes during the proceedings.
Cleland wrote that sending exact quotes electronically would be considered broadcasting from the courtroom, which is banned.
Since reporters have been tweeting and otherwise transmitting live quotes throughout the hearings in the case, Cleland ruled that it would be too difficult to enforce the rule and instead banned electronic communication altogether.
In another order, Cleland denied the defense's request to copy all juror information prosecutors had gathered prior to jury selection. Sandusky's attorney filed a motion asking for this information, which he believes the prosecution has.
Joe Amendola, Sandusky's attorney, attached an anonymous letter with his request that lists the information the prosecution has about each potential juror. Amendola argued, according to Cleland's order, that the note is credible because it was attached to the list of the pool of potential jurors.
Cleland wrote that in the defense's request, Amendola argued that it is "fundamentally unfair" for the prosecution to use its "unlimited investigative, financial, and governmental resources" to conduct background searches and collect information about potential jurors.
But, Cleland wrote that even if the prosecution has collected this information, he doesn't believe it is required by the constitution to be turned over to the defense.
Sandusky is charged with 52 counts of child sex abuse. Jury selection for his trial begins Tuesday.
