So the situation with Sandusky’s son takes an ever sharper turn, as NBC News now reports that the Penn State coach did not testify under threat that the prosecution would use his adopted son, recently revealed as a potential victim, as a witness.
Matt Sandusky, through his attorney Andrew Shubin, said that he met with prosecutors this week to say for the first time that he is a molestation victim of Jerry Sandusky, his adopted father. Matt, 33, was adopted by Jerry and Dottie Sandusky as an adult, after going to live with the family as a foster child.
He has denied ever being abused by his adopted father until now. “This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy. There will be no further comment,” Shubin said in a statement.
Matt Sandusky would have offered to testify against the former Penn State assistant coach, according to Shubin.
UPDATE: NBC News now reports that Jerry Sandusky did not testify because the prosecution threatened to use Matt Sandusky as a witness if he did.
Jerry Sandusky’s lawyers finished putting on their case Wednesday without calling the former Penn State assistant football coach to the stand to rebut child sex abuse allegations that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.
The trial has lasted seven days, with jurors hearing from eight men - now 18 to 28 - who said the former coach sexually assaulted them after they met him through the charity he founded.
Sandusky was known during the early parts of the media circus around this case for speaking to the press even at his peril — most notably a very uncomfortable Bob Costas interview which the prosecution used against him in this trial.
I didn’t go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I’ve helped. There are many that I didn’t have — I hardly had any contact with who I have helped in many, many ways.Jerry Sandusky • In unaired footage from his interview with Bob Costas for NBC’s “Rock Center with Brian Williams”, which prosecutors may show to members of the jury in his child molestation trial. Costas had questioned whether Sandusky fit the modus operandi of most pedophiles, considering his heavily-cited work with a number of youth throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Many believe Sandusky’s comments will be end any hopes he may have had for coming out of this ordeal without jail time. source (via • follow)
I’ve been concerned about this since the beginning. There were very broad representations made by the Commonwealth on the bill of particulars. Since then, the Commonwealth has submitted an amended bill of particulars, and amended their information, which I believe now meets the standards of due process. Although early on I certainly was not persuaded that that was the case.Judge John Cleland • Suggesting that initially, he didn’t feel that the prosecution in the Jerry Sandusky sexual-abused trial had a strong enough case against the former Penn State coach — suggesting that the charges, at least initially, were too vague. That’s actually something that Sandusky’s lawyer, Joe Amendola, has said to the judge multiple times, but Cleland has dismissed. So the fact that he’s admitting this, after a bit of debate over whether some of the 52 counts against Sandusky should be dropped, is a bit of a surprise. The prosecution in the trial is expected to rest today, after one last witness.
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Our priority is to ensure children continue to be served by these programs. We were shocked and saddened by the events that led us here, but we are committed to the future of these children and their families and look forward to building on the outstanding work done by so many individuals who have been a part of The Second Mile over the years.Arrow Child & Family Ministries CEO Mark Tennant • Discussing his plans for the assets of the Second Mile in a statement published on the closing charity’s Web site this morning. The Second Mile’s closing was caused largely due to the negative reputation the charity built in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky case.
The Second Mile said it has been financially crippled by the child-sex abuse scandal involving its founder and onetime public face and concluded after a six-month internal review that it had no other option but to close.
The State College-based charity began the legal process of dissolving itself Friday, submitting a plan to Centre County Court that would transfer its programs and millions of dollars in assets to Arrow Child & Family Ministries Inc., a $36 million charity that operates in Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California and Honduras.
Sandusky, a former Penn State coach, is accused of using his role with The Second Mile to target children for abuse.
EDIT: A statement from the founder of the charity taking over their assets.
Post editor Marcus Brauchli had a private talk with 24-year-old Pulitzer winner Sara Ganim at last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Ganim was a guest of the Houston Chronicle:
We had a brief kidnapping at the Washington Post party. Don Graham was gracious as always (and he…
If you win a Pulitzer and break a major news story less than two years out of college — especially at a mid-sized paper — the chances that someone will try to pluck you to a major market are very high. Ganim broke the Jerry Sandusky scandal wide open last year.
Wow! This is the first I’ve heard of this. I had no idea. If I would have seen the report, I would certainly have done some things differently. Boy, this is a shock.Jerry Sandusky investigator Jerry Lauro • Discussing a 1998 report, written by psychologist Dr. Alycia A. Chambers, that suggested that the former Penn State coach’s actions fit a “likely pedophile’s pattern.” “There was very little doubt in my mind (Sandusky) … was a male predator, someone that was in the process of grooming a young man for abuse,” Chambers said recently in regards to the report, which didn’t surface publicly until recently.
But seriously … I am not kidding.
I’m not watching all of...
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Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
remeanie asks: I want to thank you for the manner in which you have covered the Sandusky scandal. I'm a PSU student, and I've felt harassed by the way most of the mainstream media has done it. We are all portrayed as either sexual abuse/cover up apologists or essentially told that the whole place should be burned to the ground. I came to PSU because of their animal science/horse breeding program with no connection to the football program, and I appreciate not being lumped in with the guilty administrators.
» SFB says: Thank you, we appreciate that. Ultimately, in cases like this, it’s tough to balance the emotions that crop up with the story, because let’s face it, it’s the kind of thing that is on-its-face indefensible. We tend to play a little fast-and-loose with our opinions on certain topics, but this is one of those stories where you just have to let the information speak for itself. If we lived/worked/studied at an organization in a similar place, we’d hope for the same. Jerry Sandusky is accused of a lot of crazy things. A lot of other people have the emotional reactions covered; our role is better served by handling it calmly. — Ernie @ SFB
The former Penn State assistant coach at the center of an ongoing child-abuse scandal will be able to see his grandchildren and close friends ahead of his May 14 trial. His lawyer, Joe Amendola, says that Sandusky is ”relieved and pleased” about the decision. Meanwhile, the court also blocked a request by the prosecution to pick jurors from outside of the immediate State College area — a victory for Sandusky, as it increases the chances of getting a Penn State fan on the jury. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
#sandusky smiles wide as prosecutor says: “defendant used his role in the second mile to vicitimize, locate and target victims.”
— Sara Ganim (@sganim) February 10, 2012
Since he got here, #Sandusky has been smiling/laughing a lot. Looks like nerves, at times.
— Sara Ganim (@sganim) February 10, 2012
Jerry Sandusky laughs and smiles at one of Judge Cleland’s questions, and affirms his agreement for his defense’s requests.
— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 10, 2012
Nearly every question Sandusky answers is accompanied by laughter or a smirk. The atmosphere is very uneasy. #PSUCharges
— Onward State (@OnwardState) February 10, 2012
Some tweets from the Jerry Sandusky pre-trial hearing in Bellafonte, Pennsylvania today. Sandusky is in court with his attorney, Joe Amendola, regarding which county his jury pool will be drawn from, as well as potential changes to the specifications of his bail (his neighbors have voiced much tension and fear about any possible easing of his house arrest). All in all, the picture painted is an extremely unsettling one, with Sandusky reportedly doing a lot of smirking and chuckling throughout.
(Source: sportsgrid.com)
Penn State legend Joe Paterno dies at 85: This time his family’s saying it and AP is running with it. So it’s legit.
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