By Sara Ganim
The Patriot-News
November 14, 2011
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/11/judge_had_no_contact_with_sand.html
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| Former Penn State coaching legend Jerry Sandusky is arraigned on sex abuse charges Saturday, Nov. 5 in State College, Pa. |
The district judge who set Jerry Sandusky's bail has been under fire for listing The Second Mile as a charity for which she volunteered.
But according to a source close to the case, Leslie Dutchcot had only small roles at a few events in 2008 and 2009 -- after Sandusky stopped participating in charity events -- and never talked to Sandusky himself.
The information on her law firm's website -- in Pennsylvania, district judges are allowed to continue working for a law firm after being elected to a district judge post -- was public before Dutchcot set bail for 67-year-old Sandusky on 40 counts of child sex abuse charges.
Pennsylvania's district judges don't decide innocence or guilt, nor do they hear trials on misdemeanor and felony cases. They only set bail, and determine if there are enough charges for a county court judge to proceed to trial. They also handle traffic court cases, summary citations and small-claims civil suits.
No concerns were raised by the Attorney General's office about a potential conflict of interest.
Prosecutors had asked for $500,000 bail and for Sandusky to wear a leg monitor, but Dutchcot opted to set Sandusky's bail at $100,000.
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