Penn State Child Molestation Case

[MojoMan]

Originally Posted by ArlingtonTexan

In my case, I think that he gets out of having to live with his guilt, if he is truly able to do that, if he kills or even if society kills him or places him in a situation to be killed. Death is an easy way out on the human level. I am guessing that every person he molested over the years did not come foward and those that did had to re-live a terrible secret that shaped who they were. Sandusky got to live (falsely) as a well-respected, well-connected member of the community. Honestly, I believe that he is never really going to pay properly.

That is a pretty compelling answer. However, I doubt that is the justification that the legal authorities are using for establishing a suicide watch over Sandusky and placing him in protective custody.

What your argument amounts to is that allowing him to die is an act of mercy for Sandusky at this point. I can see that. Nevertheless, I do not believe the legal authorities should be responsible for this beyond taking some minimal, reasonable precautions.

It is not desirable for anyone to commit suicide, but it is also should not be the responsibility of any other person or institution to make sure another person refrains from killing themselves.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by MojoMan

That is a pretty compelling answer. However, I doubt that is the justification that the legal authorities are using for establishing a suicide watch over Sandusky and placing him in protective custody.

What your argument amounts to is that allowing him to die is an act of mercy for Sandusky at this point. I can see that. Nevertheless, I do not believe the legal authorities should be responsible for this beyond taking some minimal, reasonable precautions.

It is not desirable for anyone to commit suicide, but it is also should not be the responsibility of any other person or institution to make sure another person refrains from killing themselves.

In the broadest sense, I don't really know what 'suicide watch' entails in that state (see below) so I can't say if the precautions are reasonal beyond what another prisoner gets. A cell with a camera and somebody walking by a couple more times a day sounds reasonable, so of the more extreme suicide watches are animalistic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_watch

[Showtime100]

Originally Posted by ArlingtonTexan

In the broadest sense, I don't really know what 'suicide watch' entails in that state (see below) so I can't say if the precautions are reasonal beyond what another prisoner gets. A cell with a camera and somebody walking by a couple more times a day sounds reasonable, so of the more extreme suicide watches are animalistic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_watch

I don't either, but I think in Jerry Sandusky's case it goes something like this....

[Topher]

This mofo deserves the Judas Cradle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_cradle

[CloakNNNdagger]

A tactic for the purpose of leaving an appeal (or plea deal) open in a virtually hopeless defense case?? Even if not, may waste a heck of a lot more tax payer money.

Damaging comments by Sandusky's lawyer could help on appeal, experts say
Jun 24, 2012 12:25 PM CDT

Source: New York Post
NEW YORK -- Damaging comments by a lawyer for Jerry Sandusky could help the convicted Penn State child molester on appeal, according to veteran New York defense lawyers.

"He had an ethical obligation to represent his client as zealously as possible," said Manhattan defense lawyer Lori Cohen. "It's hard to reconcile a zealous defense with his public comments."

In a shocking statement before the verdict Friday, defense attorney Joe Amendola said he would "die of a heart attack" if his client were acquitted of all charges.

"That's just crazy," said Douglas Burns, a defense lawyer with 26 years in the courtroom. "A lawyer has got to keep his cards close to his vest and not make comments like that."

Hours after the football coach's conviction on 45 counts of child sexual abuse, Amendola praised the prosecution for handling the case in an "exemplary manner" and said he didn't "have any problem with the jury's verdict."

If Sandusky, 68, hires another attorney, claiming Amendola was ineffective could benefit him on appeal.

Burns said there's a 60 percent chance a claim of "ineffective counsel" could help Sandusky.

The new lawyer would have to prove that Amendola's defense of the case was below legal standards, and that an effective defense could have resulted in a not-guilty verdict.

Sandusky, who was on suicide watch Saturday, faces a sentence of up to 442 years when he is sentenced in three months. Amendola has already promised to appeal.

He and Sandusky's other attorney, Karl Rominger, said Saturday that they requested to withdraw from the case before the trial but were turned down.

"We told the trial court, the Superior Court and the Supreme Court we were not prepared to proceed to trial in June due to numerous issues," Amendola said.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Sandusky's attorneys wanted to back out from the case at the very beginning, saying that they did not have enough time to prepare for the trial. Doesn't seem like "time" was the problem.


Sandusky lawyers raise appeal issue on timing

[StarStruck]

Originally Posted by MojoMan

Jerry Sandusky is on suicide watch at the county jail and is being held in protective custody.

It may not be politically correct to say this, but why is it important to keep him from committing suicide if he wants to? He is almost certainly going to die in prison. The only question remaining is when. So, it is just a matter of timing. And when he eventually does die in prison, it his hard to imagine very many people being saddened by his passing.

I just don't get this. Of course it would be wrong to encourage him to kill himself or to put him in a situation where another prisoner was likely to kill him. But if he really was dead set on ending his own life, why should anyone feel compelled to interfere with that?

I understand your question and have raised the same one myself. I am having problems understanding how his wife could have been clueless for years, especially after their own adopted son came forth as a victim. I can't say she approved, but I don't believe that she didn't know or question the behavior or rumors.

[Blake]

Being on suicide watch, doesn't mean he is considering suicide.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Jerry's getting serenaded .

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1101791

[Dutchrudder]

Anyone who watched the Bob Costas interview should have realized Sandusky's lawyer was a buffoon. He clearly was not coached for that interview. This snippet was just ridiculous: http://youtu.be/bbSaFP_oNEc?t=58s

I hope prison is just the beginning of hell for this guy.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by StarStruck

I understand your question and have raised the same one myself. I am having problems understanding how his wife could have been clueless for years, especially after their own adopted son came forth as a victim. I can't say she approved, but I don't believe that she didn't know or question the behavior or rumors.

Da Nile isn't just a river in Egypt. She (while may have not known intimate deals) certainly had to suspect something was amiss.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by Dutchrudder

Anyone who watched the Bob Costas interview should have realized Sandusky's lawyer was a buffoon. He clearly was not coached for that interview. This snippet was just ridiculous: http://youtu.be/bbSaFP_oNEc?t=58s

I hope prison is just the beginning of hell for this guy.

His attorney was a buffoon for not denying the interview or strongly suggesting to his client to not to do the interview altogether. If I was the attorney and Sandusky adamantly wanted to the interview after my advice not to, I would've removed myself from the case, citing attorney-client differences.

I'm no attorney, nor do I play one on TV, but this seems like "Law 101".

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by eriadoc

I agree. And that is exactly why I want the Penn State football program to die. Sick bastards do what sick bastards do. It's an unfortunate part of reality. The fact that supposedly upstanding, Christian men covered for and/or turned their head to this is actually worse IMO, because they are NOT sick. JoePa was perfectly sane and still let this happen. The AD chose not to pursue it because of the potential black eye. Even the assistant coach that stumbled upon it didn't do everything he should have done.

The failure in the system was not that a mentally deranged bastard did what he did, but rather that perfectly sane and supposedly moral protectorates of young men let it go unchecked.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about the death penalty for Penn State's football program. And they should take it a step further and demolish that training facility where these despicable and vile acts occurred. Nuke the entire joint and pave it over or dedicate a park to victims of child abuse.

But under no circumstance should the school be allowed to continue a program that systematically turned it's back on atrocious abuse of children. That it went on for so long will tarnish Penn State for as long as I'm alive.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

I agree with you wholeheartedly about the death penalty for Penn State's football program. And they should take it a step further and demolish that training facility where these despicable and vile acts occurred. Nuke the entire joint and pave it over or dedicate a park to victims of child abuse.

But under no circumstance should the school be allowed to continue a program that systematically turned it's back on atrocious abuse of children. That it went on for so long will tarnish Penn State for as long as I'm alive.

I guess if the banks were to big to fail then PSU football was to big to tell .

[TimeKiller]

Originally Posted by Dread-Head

The sad thing here is there ARE no winners.

I don't know. Jerry Sandusky seems to be making it out pretty well. I mean look at what he did and we're trying to figure out a way to keep him safe, well fed, housed, clothed and alive.

[Blake]

Report finds Penn State concealed abuse, disregarded victims' safety

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...&sct=hp_t11_a0

[gwallaia]

Very scathing report; I wonder what penalties if any Penn State will face. SMU got the death penalty years ago for something far less serious, but I think Penn State will get off because they are viewed as too big and important to college football to get the death penalty.

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by Blake

Report finds Penn State concealed abuse, disregarded victims' safety

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...&sct=hp_t11_a0

And there you go. Paterno wasn't insulated from what was going on. This clearly reveals him to be a part of the problem. The whole bunch of them are just morally bankrupt people.

[ArlingtonTexan]

http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/.../120712.01.pdf

Full report (pdf) for those who have time or speed read.

[ArlingtonTexan]

tvs-at-psu-student-center-suddenly-change-channels-away-from-freeh-announcement

A press conference from lead investigator Louis Freeh – which you can watch HERE — was about to air on CNN. Large TVs in the Penn State student center were tuned in to the channel. But then, something happened, per the Philadelphia Inquirer

But, just as an anchor was ready to speak about the report, the television screens suddenly went blank. They then turned to a public access channel featuring a reporter from The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown about the state budget.