BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — The judge in Jerry Sandusky’s case has managed to get the case to trial in a breakneck seven months and got a jury picked in two days.
When prosecutors and defense attorneys make opening statements Monday, on the bench will be John Cleland. He’s a veteran jurist from rural McKean County in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Cleland’s approach to the case in the run-up to trial has impressed observers, and in his hometown he has a reputation as thoughtful and fair.
This is the third time in recent years the Supreme Court has given him a high-profile assignment. He was appointed to Superior Court and chaired a special commission in the aftermath of the so-called “kids for cash” juvenile justice scandal in northeastern Pennsylvania.
