New judge assigned to Sandusky case

A judge from Western Pennsylvania will preside over next month's preliminary hearing of the former Penn State assistant football coach accused of child sex crimes.

Judge Robert E. Scott, a senior judge in Westmoreland County was assigned to hear the case after officials in Center County, where Penn State is located, requested an outside magistrate to hear Commonwealth v. Gerald Sandusky.

Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually assaulting eight young boys over a period of 15 years. Many of those assaults allegedly occurred on Penn State's main campus in State College.

The case previously had been assigned to District Judge Leslie Dutchcot, who donated to The Second Mile in 2009. Dutchcot released Sandusky on $100,000 unsecured bail.

Dutchcot has come under scrutiny in recent days for her prior relationship to Sandusky's charity. She previously served as a volunteer for the organization and donated between $500 and $999 in 2009, according to its annual reports.

In 2007, Second Mile's state board Chairman Robert Poole hosted a $1,500 fundraiser for her at his State College, according to campaign finance filings.

Dutchcot has declined to comment on the case or her relationship to Second Mile.

"I feel that the only appropriate action was for her to recuse herself from the case," said state Rep. Mike Vereb (R., Montgomery), who has frequently challenged Dutchcot's ties to the charity.

Scott has no known connections with Penn State, the Second Mile charity or the two organizations officers and representatives, according to a statement released by the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts.

The hearing, scheduled for Dec. 7, will be held at the Centre County Courthouse in Belfont.