Sandusky seeks federal retrial after accuser recants

Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, 82, who is already serving 30 to 60 years after being convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse, appeared by video as his lawyers asked for a new trial in federal court following a victim’s recantation. They argue tainted testimony and trauma-related memory gaps tainted the case, and moving to federal court would relinquish state post-conviction relief claims regarding Victim No. 10. A Pennsylvania judge dismissed Sandusky’s state bid for relief after he acknowledged the decision was made on counsel’s advice. Prosecutors dismissed the recantation as an attempt to undermine the conviction. The episode extends the Penn State scandal's ripple effects, including debates about Joe Paterno’s legacy and the university’s football history.