Lawyer Confirms No Plea Deal for Ex-Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky

December 13: Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky walks to his attorney’s car as he leaves the Centre County Courthouse after waiving a preliminary hearing in Bellefonte, Pa. (AP)

BOALSBURG, Pa. -- The attorney of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky confirmed Wednesday that a plea deal would not be pursued.

"There's never been any discussions about plea bargains on either side of this case, and I don't anticipate there will be," Joe Amendola told NBC's "Today" show.

Amendola stressed that the 67-year-old maintains his innocence and said a plea bargain likely would involve a life sentence, given the severity of the allegations and Sandusky's age.

Sandusky is charged with more than 50 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. The allegations were laid out in a grand jury presentment that was made public in early November, when Sandusky was first arrested.

He unexpectedly waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday, pleading not guilty to charges of child sexual abuse and requesting a jury trial, a move that Amendola defended Wednesday.

"What would have happened [if the hearing took place] yesterday [Tuesday] is that the media would have had a feeding frenzy. They would have heard the worst of the worst of the Commonwealth witnesses -- we would not have been able to cross-examine them about credibility," Amendola said.

He added, "We had very little to gain, a lot of downside and what we got in return is a guarantee that unless Jerry Sandusky violates his bail conditions, he is going to be out of jail, helping me prepare his defense until his trial."

The hearing was expected to be a chance for the alleged victims to lay out for the judge the allegations against the 67-year-old former defensive coordinator.

Sandusky remains under house arrest after posting $250,000 bail last week.

Amendola said he hopes Sandusky's trial will begin in the summer or fall.

Meanwhile, the attorneys for former Penn State senior vice president Charles Schultz and director of athletics Timothy Curley, who is on paid administrative leave, said Tuesday that their clients will not waive their preliminary hearings Friday in Harrisburg, Pa., the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

The pair was charged with perjury and failure to report in connection with the charges against Sandusky.