CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA — Jerry Sandusky appeared virtually in court on Tuesday and withdrew his petition for a new trial in state court. Judge Maureen Skerda dismissed Sandusky's state court bid for post-conviction relief, clearing the path for his legal team to seek a new trial in federal court.

Senior Judge Maureen Skerda had set a hearing for September 8, 2026, in Centre County Court to address the matter. During the proceedings, Sandusky stated he was making the decision to withdraw the petition on the advice of counsel. The former Penn State assistant football coach is 82 years old and is currently incarcerated at State Correctional Institution Laurel Highlands, a minimum-security facility in Pennsylvania that houses geriatric and mentally ill males.

Judge Skerda addressed the implications of withdrawing this specific claim during the hearing. "Withdrawing the request to present the recantation from the accuser identified as R.R. meant the claim could not be litigated again in state or federal court," Judge Skerda said. Records indicate that Rittmeyer is connected to only six of the 45 counts against Sandusky.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday criticized the legal maneuver. Sunday called Sandusky a "child predator" and dismissed his legal maneuvers. "This was yet another attempt by a convicted child predator to avoid accountability and escape punishment for years of abuse he perpetrated under the veil of a child-empowerment program," Sunday said in a statement. He further commended his team's efforts, stating, "I commend our litigation team for challenging this alleged recantation by one victim, and putting on record the voluminous evidence that debunks this highly-suspect claim by defense counsel." Sandusky was convicted on June 22, 2012, on 45 counts of sexual abuse and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

Timeline

R.R. testified at trial that Sandusky sexually abused him in the coach’s basement in 1998 when R.R. was 11 years old. On June 22, 2012, Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. R.R. was 25 years old at the time of the trial. On June 30, 2025, the victim identified as R.R. provided an affidavit stating he had been approached by state investigators who told him his role was critical to stopping a predator. In that affidavit, R.R. stated that prosecutors encouraged him to believe Sandusky had molested him despite his lack of clear memory of such conduct, and that he was told trauma may have fragmented his memory and that he could safely affirm details he did not fully recall. On September 1, 2026, Sandusky said in an audio statement: "Over the years, I have brought 15 serious issues before Pennsylvania’s courts, each one showing I deserve a new trial. Everyone was swatted down."

What's New

Additional reporting includes Sandusky's audio statement where he said: "Over the years, I have brought 15 serious issues before Pennsylvania’s courts, each one showing I deserve a new trial. Everyone was swatted down." Sandusky's lawyer Jerry Russo told reporters that state courts frown on granting new trials based on witness recantation, seeing it as "inherently unreliable." In the same audio statement, Sandusky said: "I need to get there as fast as possible. I’m 82 years old. I’m innocent. I intend to be alive when the truth is heard." A hearing was scheduled for September 8, 2026, in Centre County Court, which was set by Senior Judge Maureen Skerda.

Judge Skerda stated that withdrawing the request to present the recantation from the accuser identified as R.R. meant the claim could not be litigated again in state or federal court. Historical records confirm R.R. testified at trial that Sandusky sexually abused him in the coach’s basement in 1998 when R.R. was 11 years old.

Why It Matters

The withdrawal of the state petition shifts the legal battle to federal court, where Sandusky's team argues he can receive a fairer hearing. Judge Skerda's ruling ensures that the specific claim regarding R.R.'s recantation cannot be relitigated in state court, narrowing the scope of future state-level appeals. This move comes as Sandusky, now 82, seeks to expedite proceedings due to his age and health concerns while incarcerated at a facility for geriatric inmates.

The case remains disputed, with Attorney General Dave Sunday characterizing the efforts as attempts to evade accountability for convictions stemming from 2012. The affidavit from R.R., which alleges investigator coercion, introduces questions about the integrity of the original investigation into the six counts linked to him. However, Sunday maintains that voluminous evidence debunks the recantation, showing the ongoing dispute over the validity of the testimony that contributed to the 45-count conviction.