Judge Upholds Penn State Perjury Charges

A judge upheld perjury charges against two Penn State administrators on Wednesday, allowing their trials to proceed as planned.

The two administrators have been accused of lying to a grand jury that was investigating allegations that ex-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky had sexually abused children, reports Fox News.

Dauphin County Judge Todd Hoover made the ruling against motions by former vice president Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley, which would have thrown out perjury charges against both men.

The judge is also expected to decide if he will dismiss charges about the two failing to properly report suspected child abuse. The defendants have argued that the statute of limitations has expired for that charge.

Schultz and Curley claimed that there was insufficient evidence in the perjury charges against them, but the judge stated that the claim would be better pursued during the trial.

Hoover added that prosecutors have given the defendants enough information about which parts of their grand jury testimony make up the perjury charges. Judge Hoover wrote:

“Having satisfied the request to specify the statements it will seek to prove as perjurious, we find that the commonwealth need not identify the manner in which it intends to prove the alleged falsity of each statement.”

ESPN notes that Schultz has retired since the case began, while Curley is currently on leave from the school. Their trial will begin with jury selection on January 7.

The Penn State perjury case stems from the criminal case against Jerry Sandusky, where he was convicted on charges that he sexually abused 10 boys. Sandusky is currently waiting on sentencing next month.