BELLEFONTE — Law enforcement and Centre County Court officials are preparing for Dec. 13, when they expect national media attention to shift from State College to Bellefonte for Jerry Sandusky’s preliminary hearing on child sex abuse charges.
Representatives of police agencies from around the county and court officials met in Bellefonte Wednesday to plan the logistics of carrying out the hearing. Officials said they expect a large contingent of news reporters and TV crews to cover the hearing, possible arriving in Bellefonte as early as the day before the hearing.
Centre County Sheriff Denny Nau said his staff will try to shield the alleged victims from media. He called on media outlets to respect the alleged victims’ privacy by not photographing them or taking video of them outside the courthouse.
The most noticeable disruption from the day-to-day routine in Bellefonte that residents will see are road closures around the courthouse, said Bellefonte Police Chief Shawn Weaver.
They’ll also see an increased police presence in the town, he said.
“First and foremost is the safety of our residents and the victims,” Weaver said. “We understand this is an event we’ve never seen in town before.”
Details on which roads will be closed and for how long will be announced next week, he said.
Sandusky is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on 40 counts related to child sexual abuse at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 13 in Courtroom No. 1 of the Centre County Courthouse.
An out-of-county district judge, Robert E. Scott, will preside over the hearing and decide whether the prosecution has presented enough evidence that a crime occurred, and that Sandusky may have committed the crime, to bind the charges against him over to Centre County Court for trial.
Sandusky has maintained his innocence through his attorney, Joe Amendola.
Officials said they’re working to provide street parking for TV news vans and satellite trucks. They may have to pay a fee for taking up a parking spot, Weaver said.
Street parking will remain free as part of the borough’s initiative to encourage downtown shopping, but officials expect parking spaces to be few and far between.
Weaver said both uniformed and plain-clothes police will be on duty outside the courthouse. All municipal police department in Centre County and state police will assist, in much the same way that they assist with security in and around Beaver Stadium during Penn State football games, he said.
In parking lots and inside the courthouse, guards from the Sheriff’s Office will provide security and will screen visitors at two courthouse entrances, Nau said.
County Court Administrator Maxine Ishler said Judge Scott will issue a “decorum order” next week outlining behaviors that will be allowed or banned inside the courtroom during the hearing.
The courtroom has capacity for about 200 people.
