Sandusky legal team seeks additional time

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's lawyer is seeking more time to file legal briefs requesting a new trial for the convicted pedophile.

In papers filed in Centre County Court Tuesday, Joe Amendola said the defense legal team's lead attorney is recovering from a heart attack and another attorney needs to research the case before filing a legal brief in support of last month's post-sentence motions, the Centre Daily Times in State College reported.

Senior Judge John Cleland set a deadline of Friday to submit briefs, court records showed, but Sandusky's defense team has requested extra time.

Sandusky was indicted in 2011 and convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse in 2012. In October, he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in state prison.

The defense has argued the punishment is excessive.

Penn State said in a statement Tuesday its costs in the abuse scandal have reached nearly $21 million. The total, updated and reported monthly, reflects invoices the school has received, through Aug. 31, for legal services, public relations and consultants.