Nov 13, 2015 11:45 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

A state court in Pennsylvania overruled a previous decision from the State Employees' Retirement Board and reinstated Jerry Sandusky's retirement pension.

According to The Associated Press, the court reasoned that Sandusky was not an employee at Pennsylvania State University (PSU) when he committed the child sex abuse crimes for which he was convicted. The ruling came from a unanimous decision from a panel with the Commonwealth Court.

The former PSU football assistant coach's pension was revoked in Oct. 2012 when the convictions were handed down and the board will now have to pay the interest.

Between his retirement in 1999 and his conviction in 2012, Sandusky received monthly payments of $4,900 and the board classified him as a "de facto employee" through 2008, Philly.com reported. He hosted events at PSU's football facility and committed said crimes there, but was not considered an employee.

Sandusky was found guilty on 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 young boys he met through his charity. He is about three years into a prison sentence that will last up to 57 more years and at least 27 more years, but at age 71, Sandusky is effectively sentenced to life.

In a separate matter relating to the case, Judge John Cleland rendered a ruling that constituted a partial win for Sandusky's campaign for an appeal, Reuters noted. Cleland ordered Penn. Attorney General Kathleen Kane to turn over relevant documents to a complaint that the victims who testified against Sandusky had financial incentive to exaggerate their testimony.

Sandusky's lawyer, Alexander Lindsay, will now be able to review those documents, which could help his case for an appeal. However, Cleland ruled against Lindsay's motion for additional testimony from a victim he hoped would prove his client was not tried fairly.

Sandusky has vigorously maintained his innocence throughout the trial and has continuously sought an appeal of the convictions since they were handed down.

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