Monday, June 18, 2012

Jerry Sandusky Inaccurately Portrayed As Predatory Pedophile?

Some say Sandusky (photo courtesy of CBS) destroyed Joe Paterno's legend.  Others say Joe destroyed himself.  LINK.  Four days of testimony has revealed testimony of eight men from 18 to 28 years old which claimed Jerry Sandusky sexually abused them as children.  Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach, denies any liability.  But will Sandusky himself take the stand in his own defense?  Our guess is no even though that increases his odds of conviction.

Sandusky's attorney, Joe Amendola, suggested he might.  But what could he possibly add to the audio recording of the television interview that the jury has already heard? Amendola's strategy is to create enough doubt in jurors' minds to avoid a conviction.  If it doesn't work, Sandusky will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Have the accusers' stories changed over time so as to affect their credibility? At least six witnesses said they told incorrect or incomplete stories in early contacts with police.  Three testified that some of the details only came back to them in recent years. Nevertheless, the prosecutor seems to think the testimony is solid. Are the victims motivated by a chance to gain monetary compensation from civil suits?  This is always a possibility and one that is difficult to deal with from the prosecutors standpoint.

Amendola told the jury in opening statement, "Jerry, in my opinion, loves kids so much that he does things none of us would ever do." The question remains if Jerry Sandusky's love  of children causes him to break the law.  Child molestation cases are not new.  Michael Jackson was accused of inappropriate conduct with children.  LINK. Jackson won his case and apparently settled a civil lawsuit by paying an undisclosed sum. While it's possible Sandusky will win, how likely is it given the national media attention on this case? with all the testimony that Sandusky used gifts, the prestige of Penn State's football program in exchange for physical contact from a hand on the knee to fondling, repeated oral sex and in some cases rape, prosecutor Joe McGettigan has painted the picture of a predatory pedophile. Even with a strong case in chief, it may be difficult to erase such a powerful image in the minds of jurors.

Jerry Sandusky's lawyers have asked the judge to allow them to use out-of-court statements from  former Penn State president Graham Spanier and Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, two university administrators who are fighting criminal charges they lied to the Sandusky grand jury and did not properly report suspected child abuse. If permitted, that could help Sandusky attack the credibility of a witness who says he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a yet-unidentified boy in a team shower. Judge John Cleland has already allowed into evidence the contents of "Touched," "Sandusky's autobiography.  Allowing the entire book prevents misleading exerps and quotes from being taken out of context in order to support a false impression. 

Sandusky's lawyers have argued that Sandusky's peculiar behaviors are evidence of "histrionic personality disorder" on Sandusky's part. During Voire dire, Sandusky's lawyers asked potential jurors about ties to members of Joe Paterno's family.  It remains unclear who if any one will testify in Sandusky's defense. The prosecutor's case should wrap up this week. In the mean time, Jerry Sandusky is to be presumed innocent unless otherwise proven in a court of law.

Update 6-22-12:  As the Sandusky jury deliberates, Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official convicted of a crime for how he handled sex-abuse accusations. The judge revoked Lynn into custody after he was convicted of one count of endangerment. Lynn was acquitted of another endangerment count and a conspiracy charge. Lynn has been on leave from the church since last year. The alleged conduct occurred while he was secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, mostly under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. The jury could not agree on a verdict for Lynn's co-defendant, the Rev. James Brennan, who was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy.


Monsignor William Lynn was accused of facilitating by telling parishes their priests were being removed for health reasons and then sending them to unsuspecting churches.  Lynn, 61, had faced about 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted of all three counts. He will likely serve 3 1/2 to seven years in prison.


Bevilacqua had the final say on what to do with priests accused of abuse.  He also allegedly ordered the shredding of a 1994 list that warned him that the archdiocese had three diagnosed pedophiles, a dozen confirmed predators and at least 20 more possible abusers. With the verdict, jurors concluded that prosecutors failed to show that Lynn was part of a conspiracy to move predator priests. The jury, however, did find that Lynn endangered the victim of Edward Avery, who pleaded guilty before trial to a 1999 sexual assault. Lynn had helped steer Avery into an inpatient treatment program run by the archdiocese. Avery was later sent to live in a northeast Philadelphia parish, where the altar boy was assaulted.  Avery is now serving a 2-1/2- to five-year prison sentence.

Lynn's lawyer, Thomas Bergstrom, said in closing arguments that Lynn should not be held responsible for the Church's sins. He suggested his client was a scapegoat for the scandal.  Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington said in his closing that it can take years for victims to come forward. "That's what's so scary about this. We have no idea how many victims are out there."  


In the meantime, expect the Lynn conviction to be appealed.




Sandusky Update 6-23-12:  Guilty on 45 of 48 counts! The foreman, Juror #4, was a gray-haired middle-aged man who hammered down the long verdict with an ere command of the courtroom. Guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse,  indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children. Forty-five times justice  rang out throughout the courtroom.   There were only three charges Sandusky was acquitted on.  There remains an excellent chance that the ex-coach will spend the rest of his life behind bars.  Who knows who may else follow if they participated in the cover up.  We know from the Lynn case above that  those who cover up child molestation may also face the wrath of justice! 



17 comments:

Anonymous said...

NO matter the reason, one sick puppy.

Anonymous said...

Prosecutor rested as you suggested would happen. Now Defense has to decide who if any they will call in their case in chief.

Anonymous said...

Why did these so called victims wait so long to bring it to authorities attention?

Anonymous said...

Prosecutors say Sandusky used The Second Mile youth charity he founded to lure his alleged victims

Anonymous said...

The testimony of the victims has been sickening. The defense testimony will make me sick for different reasons. I usually wait until all the evidence before commenting, but if Sandusky doesn't go to prison, I will think something very wrong happened in Pennsylvania.

Video Guy said...

"Why did these so called victims wait so long to bring it to authorities attention?"

I've heard that some have tried in the past but nothing happened...And to think that people in authority may have suspected this guy but ignored it is even more disgusting.

I expect to see many more dragged down because of this negligence as time goes by.

Video Guy said...

Sandusky’s wife testified and said the victims are lying…Highly unlikely in this case. I think this woman knew, or had suspicions and ignored the evidence. Apparently, one of the victims was in the basement with Sandusky screaming for help while his wife was upstairs, and no help came. This woman should be charged as an accessory and will prob be as hated by the public a Casey Anthony is…and rightly so.

Snadusky’s TV interviews that they played in court will convict him, he incriminates himself time after time. Why did his attorney’s allow him do them and not tell him to STFU ??
Maybe deep inside they know this guy is guilty and decided to let him hang himself and get him off the streets…if so, this I applaud.

Legal Pub said...

Sandusky Update 6-23-12: Guilty on 45 of 48 counts! The foreman, Juror #4, was a gray-haired middle-aged man who hammered down the long verdict with an ere command of the courtroom. Guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children. Forty-five times justice rang out throughout the courtroom. There were only three charges Sandusky was acquitted on. There remains an excellent chance that the ex-coach will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Who knows who may else follow if they participated in the cover up. We know from the Lynn case above that those who cover up child molestation may also face the wrath of justice!

Video Guy said...

(those who cover up child molestation may also face the wrath of justice!)

Bout time...

Paul said...

Histrionic dx is like saying Jeffery Dagner had a eating disorder!

Paul said...

Histrionic dx is like saying Jeffery Dagner had a eating disorder!

Paul said...

Sorry. I mention to spell Jeffery Dahmer.

Anonymous said...

Got your point Paul!

Anonymous said...

I say castrate Sanpertsky

Scoop said...

Emails appear to show Penn State's former president Graham Spanier agreed not to take allegations of sex abuse against ex-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky to authorities. Yet he expressed concern that university officials would be "vulnerable" for failing to report it according to a recent CNN news report.

CNN cites an email from Schultz to Curley on Feb. 26, 2001, 16 days after graduate assistant Mike McQueary told veteran coach Joe Paterno about the shower assault. Schultz suggests bringing the allegation to the attention of Sandusky, Sandusky's charity and the Department of Welfare.

However, the next night, Curley sent an email to Spanier, saying that after thinking about it more and talking to Paterno, he was "uncomfortable" with that plan. Instead, he wanted to work with Sandusky before contacting authorities.

Assuming this to be true, shame on Joe and Penn State!

Anonymous said...

What a mess for this former highly regarded institution. This demonstates terrible leadership at every level.

Video Guy said...

As I said in an earlier post; "I expect to see many more dragged down because of this negligence as time goes by."

But this news about Paterno is disturbing. They are saying this is why Sandusky was worked out of the Pen State system...but still gave him a hefty retirement, access to their facilities, and plugged his charity that he used as a personal recruiting farm to exploit children.

I guess they felt if they don't hear about it, it must not be happening.

I expect their football program will take a big hit...not many good, high profile coaches will want to be associated with them.