More On the Penn State Scandal

There are times in this age of cyber news that you wonder just what people are thinking. Sometimes things slip, sometimes thoughts are leaked purposefully, and sometimes stupidity reigns. Like last night's Bob Costas' television interview with Jerry Sandusky.

Wait! His lawyer actually allowed him to talk to a journalist while the criminal case is pending? Oh it's worse than that - his counsel even suggested that Costas interview his client. I don't understand what happened there, because everything he said is admissible in court, unless counsel later intends to file a motion to suppress his client's statement. It makes no sense.

This was supposed to be an interview of Sandusky's lawyer, Joseph Amendola. About twenty minutes before the interview was to air, Amendola asked Costas if he would rather do a phone interview with his client. Of course Costas agreed, and later said that the lawyer placed no restrictions on the conversation.

When Mr. Amendola was asked why he was letting his client speak, he told Costas that Sandusky had already been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion and that they wanted their story out. So the interview proceeds and Sandusky admits to showering with young boys, placing his hand on their legs and general "horseplay", but with no sexual intent. He even admitted to being in the shower with the young boy in 2002 when McCreery, the coach-intern, found them in the shower. But he denied any wrongdoing.

I am sorry, but what is "right" about a 55 year old man showering with minor boys? Admitting that he was in that shower I would think damages his case badly, because it is only a small step to connecting that now established fact with sexual contact. And they have an eye-witness who now says he took steps to intervene and stop Sandusky from raping the child.

While not evidence I would say that Sandusky's tone and voice reflections were even creepy over the phone. If anyone could sound like a pedophile, he surely did. Why his lawyer would want to expose all this is beyond me. Maybe they are banking on a biased judge and jury. The prosecution is certainly thinking about this because they want a change of venue. How many people in that community are not tied to Penn State in one way or another?

What I am waiting for is the other shoe to drop - the Feds. There are allegations that Sandusky took boys across state lines to see the Nittany Lions play on the road. Look for federal indictments in this case at some point. Penalties are much stiffer in the Federal jurisdiction and the rules of evidence are somewhat less strict, even if Sandusky's lawyer should later move to suppress it in state court and the judge agrees. Stay tuned, because there is much more to come in this story.