But prosecutors argued that those same friends and neighbors had good reason to be worried.
"This home was not safe for children 15 years ago, and it's not safe for children now," said Deputy Attorney General Jonelle H. Eschbach.
Friday's court hearing addressed a hodgepodge of pre-trial issues as prosecutors and Sandusky's defense prepare to take the case to trial May 14. Common Pleas Court Judge John M. Cleland did not make any rulings from the bench.
In addition to the question of the former coach's bond conditions, prosecutors renewed their request to have jurors from outside of Centre County hear the case, citing the overwhelming pre-trial publicity and the important role Penn State and Sandusky's charity The Second Mile play in the community.
One in three people in Centre County are either Penn State students or are employed by the university, prosecutor Joseph McGettigan said.
"You're not going to just have people who have read about the case, you're going to have people who bring their own personal information," he said. "They will know from their own experience the places where the crimes occurred. They will know the defendant. They will know kids in Second Mile, or have kids in the Second Mile."
Sandusky's attorney – Joseph Amendola – has opposed the motion, arguing that publicity generated by the case has so saturated the state as to make any distinction in locales irrelevant. Sandusky briefly took the stand Friday as Cleland questioned whether he agreed with his lawyer's advice.
"I don't believe it matters relative to anywhere else in the state," he said. "It's going to come down to the people who are on the jury."
Throughout, the 68-year-old laughed nervously, often seemed unsure of himself and frequently glanced at Amendola for approval.
