Ex-Penn State Assistant Football Coach Jerry Sandusky Withdraws Petition for New Sex Abuse Trial in State Court
Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse, November 22, 2019, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. – Gene J. Puskar/AP/File
By Lauren del Valle, CNN
September 8, 2026 – 4:53 PM UTC
3 min read
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has withdrawn his petition for a new trial at a hearing on Tuesday morning, with plans to pursue federal relief, according to a spokesperson for Sandusky. A judge in Centre County, Pennsylvania, accepted the withdrawal of Sandusky’s petition at the state court hearing.
Sandusky, who was convicted of sex abuse in 2012, appeared virtually from prison to officially tell the court he wished to withdraw the petition, filed last year. Attorneys for Sandusky notified the court last week of his intentions but the judge kept Tuesday’s hearing on the schedule to hear directly from the disgraced football coach regarding the reversal.
A victim who testified against Sandusky in his original trial was scheduled to publicly recant his allegations in court on Tuesday, which was set to be an evidentiary hearing. Sandusky has consistently maintained his innocence and, according to his spokesperson, chose to withdraw his efforts in state court to pursue a faster appellate route in federal court.
Lawyers for Sandusky have fought his conviction for over a decade. At 82 years old, time is of the essence. "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," Sandusky stated in an audio statement from prison shared with CNN last week.
Sandusky’s legal team filed the latest post-conviction relief petition for a new trial last year, citing several issues. While a judge dismissed most arguments, she granted the evidentiary hearing based on the recantation from a man who testified at Sandusky’s trial as Alleged Victim No. 10.
"I now regret my role in facilitating what I have come to view as a deeply flawed prosecution," wrote Ryan Rittmeyer, known in the trial as Alleged Victim No. 10, in a recantation statement obtained by CNN.
