Dottie Sandusky Takes The Stand, Doesn't Do Much To Help Her Husband's Cause

The trial of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky began last week in Bellefonte, Pa. What follows is some of what's worth noting from today's testimony:

• Sandusky's wife, Dottie, testified this afternoon. She denied that their basement was soundproof, disputed that they had ever possessed a silver convertible (as one victim testified), said she always went to bed after Jerry did, and said her husband and Victim 4 were fully clothed when she walked into a hotel room at the Alamo Bowl and found them arguing. Dottie also testified to the behavioral problems of several of the victims. [ Patriot-News]

• This was how the exchange went when Dottie was asked point-blank by prosecutor Joseph McGettigan if Mike McQueary had any reason to lie about seeing her husband anally raping a boy in a Penn State football building shower: "'I, I—' Dottie stuttered. 'I don't know what he would do for.' McGettigan ended his questioning." [ Philly Post]

• Sandusky's defense team did puncture a hole in the credibility of two investigators during this morning's proceedings.

• Reporter Sara Ganim of the Patriot-News of Harrisburg (Pa.) was served with a subpoena by Sandusky's defense team. No word on whether she'll be called to testify, but the newspaper is fighting the subpoena. [ @sganim]

• A neighbor of Victim 1 testified that he thought the now-18-year-old boy's mother was "a bad mother who forced her son to spend weekends with Sandusky so that she could have weekends alone with friends." He also said the mother once told him, "When this all settles out, she'll have a nice big house in the country with a white fence where the dogs can run free." [ Patriot-News]

• Another nine character witnesses took the stand this morning to say what a great guy Jerry Sandusky is. [ Patriot-News]

• One of those witnesses, a neighbor of the Sanduskys, said Victim 4 even brought his family to visit Jerry and Dottie as recently as 2009. [ Patriot-News]

• Psychologist Elliot Atkins took the stand to say Sandusky has something called "histrionic personality disorder," which Atkins characterized as "a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking." Atkins's testimony was used to explain the "creepy love letters" Sandusky had written some of the victims, but the judge made clear it was not meant to address any of the alleged sex crimes. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

• Atkins also said he made the diagnosis after having read Sandusky's book, Touched. [ Philly Post]

• John Sebastian O'Brien III, another psychologist who evaluated Sandusky on Sunday at the prosecution's request, disputed Atkins's testimony. [ Patriot-News]

• O'Brien said Sandusky displayed some symptoms of psychosexual disorder. [ @kevcirilli]

Photo via AP.