Jerry Sandusky's attorney isn't off to the best start.
Joseph Amendola, who is supposed to be defending the former Penn State defensive coordinator who has been accused of multiple counts of sex abuse against young boys, continues to have foot-in-mouth moments. Tuesday, after Sandusky waived his preliminary hearing to go straight to trial, Amedola held an impromptu news conference on the courthouse steps and announced that anyone who thinks Sandusky is a child molester should call "1-800-REALITY."
"Anyone who is naive enough to think for a minute that Tim Curley, Joe Paterno and Gary Schultz and, for that matter, Graham Spanier, the university president, were told by Mike McQueary that he observed Jerry Sandusky having anal sex with a 10-year-old-looking kid in a shower at Penn State or Penn State property and their response was to simply tell Jerry Sandusky that, 'Don't go in the shower room any more with kids.' I suggest you dial 1-800-REALITY. Because that makes absolutely no sense."
No, what makes no sense is Amendola asking folks to call a gay sex line in an attempt to clear his client's name. Yeah, "1-800-REALITY" is a gay sex line. We know. We called. We heard, "Hey guys, welcome to the hottest place for triple-X action" and we hung up.
It's such a bad mistake that you can hear the district attorney and the rest of the prosecution giggling in an office somewhere.
Amendola's misdial came just a month after Sandusky flubbed his response when Bob Costas asked whether he was sexually attracted to young boys. And just 10 days after Sandusky stumbled while trying to clarify his attraction to young boys in an interview with the New York Times with Amendola sitting in a chair reading just a few feet away.
It's been one faux pas after another for Sandusky and his legal team and none of it has made Sandusky look less guilty or more sympathetic. From the very beginning, Amendola's defense has been to get out in front of the media and let Sandusky tell his story, and it has backfired at every turn. This latest gaffe should be a sign from the universe that staying quiet might be their best public defense.
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Curtsy (female version of the hat tip) to Deadspin
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More Penn State scandal coverage Yahoo! Sports:
• Wetzel: Jerry Sandusky torments accusers by waiving hearing
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• Forde-Yard Dash: Damage done extends beyond Penn State