Judge Aquilina shuts down Larry Nassar's complaints of stress, 'media circus'

LANSING – Larry Nassar wrote a letter prior to his four-day sentencing, saying he wasn’t sure if he could “mentally” handle four days of listening to victim-impact statements.

It’s unclear to whom the letter was addressed, but Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina discussed the letter this morning at the start of the third day of Nassar’s sentencing hearing. She asked him several questions about it and said it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.

In the letter, Nassar said he thought Aquilina was trying to make the sentencing hearing a “media circus” and said he had previously passed out twice, including the day of his federal sentencing. On Dec. 7, a federal judge sentenced him to 60 years in prison on three child pornography charges.

(On Wednesday, former coach Thomas Brennan told Nassar to "go to hell." Watch his full statement here:)

In November, Nassar pleaded guilty to 10 sexual assault charges split between Ingham and Eaton counties. Nassar agreed in the plea deal to allow some 125 women and girls who reported abuse to police to be allowed to give impact statements at his sentencing hearing.

Prosecutors said this morning that they expect 105 women and girls to give statements. The number has grown daily since they announced last week 88 women and girls would speak out, either in person, by letter or in video.

"You spent thousands of hours perpetrating sexual assault on minors," Aquilina said, adding that he should be able to handle a few days of impact statements.

Nassar told Aquilina he had met with Community Mental Health since writing the letter, and that the letter had been a cry to mental health services.

Today is the third day of Nassar’s four day sentencing hearing. He faces a minimum sentence of 25 to 40 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison when sentenced on Friday.  

Watch: Former MSU gymnast Lindsey Lemke takes down Larry Nassar, MSU, USA Gymnastics: