Jerry Sandusky and Related Trials

[MRandall25]

Prosecution trying to get unaired parts of the Costas/Sandusky interview entered as evidence.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/ ... rview?lite

And 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.

He basically says he had sex with some of these kids.

That is incredible

We have to be missing something here. Nobody can be this stupid

But some people can be this sick and twisted.

[Pavel Bure]

n the Penn State storage area, investigators found a typed draft of a story prosecutors say Sandusky wrote. In it, Sandusky appears to be pleading with the young man:
"Very few people know about this story, and I guess even fewer care. [No. 4] comes along, and he and Jer seem to enjoy the same experiences. They loved singing, laughing, just being themselves. Jer became attached to [No. 4], and always will be. Times were not always perfect. There were ups and downs. No matter what, there was a connection that would always last through difficult times. Life is far from perfect at this stage. Some things have come into [No. 4's] life that appear to have taken him over. For Jer, it has seemed a dark cloud. Inch by inch, the cloud has taken over. This cloud has destroyed soccer and hockey, choked smiles and laughter. Jer believes there will always be something special inside [No.4]. Jer would love to have the good times back. Jer may not be worthy, but he needs a 'best friend.' It doesn't look real good. The story will end the way [No. 4] wants it. Jer wants to be there to the end, but that's [No. 4's] call. If [No.4] ever needs him, he'll come. Jer will not forget, and always care."

Holy... effin... ****...

Is this guy for real? Disgusting.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/justice/s ... ?hpt=hp_c1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jimjom]

Pure evil.

[Kraftster]

Bad day for the prosecution today it sounds like. Yikes.

[count2infinity]

Bad day for the prosecution today it sounds like. Yikes.

how so?

[Pitts]

We have to be missing something here. Nobody can be this stupid

No, in every interview I've listened to with Sandusky, he sounds like a bumbling idiot trying to dodge the obvious. if this guy takes the stand in his own defense, he's toast. He tries to sound like he's innocent, and that he knows he is, but he fumbles the answers and nearly gives it away every time.

[jimjom]

Yeah he tries to play the bumbling dufus aw shucks big lug card. Watch his entrances and exits from the courthouse. I'm just a big galoot this is all a misunderstanding!

Frightening thought just crossed my mind. How many are there that didn't come forward. These allegations go back to 1998, when JS was 53 or 54. I'm no expert on psychiatric disorders or deviants but I would wager that one doesn't just "wake up" a pedophile. The width of JS' swath of emotional and physical destruction will never be known.

[shafnutz05]

Bad day for the prosecution today it sounds like. Yikes.

how so?

Yes, curious to find out more.

[shafnutz05]

http://deadspin.com/5919668/two-state-t ... s-straight

Ahh...here you go.

[thehockeyguru]

http://deadspin.com/5919668/two-state-t ... s-straight

Ahh...here you go.

Cops

"I don't want you to feel ashamed. You are a victim in this thing. What happened, happened. These types of things happen. We need you to tell us what happened. Again, we're not going to treat you any differently … You are a victim of this crime.

A good defense attorney would serve this up on a platter to the jury. All you need is a reasonable doubt that these kids fabricated these stories.

Sandusky's wife testified today that their basement isn't soundproof, contradicting what one of the victims claims that she could hear his screams.

[columbia]

The details are too awful to follow, but what's up with the hysterical personality disorder thing?

[shafnutz05]

Yeah...this is the first time Sandusky's defense team came out with something strong. Remember, reasonable doubt is the benchmark (although I would venture to guess that the standard would not be quite that high in this case to find Sandusky guilty).

[thehockeyguru]

The details are too awful to follow, but what's up with the hysterical personality disorder thing?

From what I've read its a legit social disorder but in no way is a defense for molesting children. It was a real reach by the defense.

[llipgh2]

Why do I have the awful feeling he is going to be acquitted?

[thehockeyguru]

Yeah...this is the first time Sandusky's defense team came out with something strong. Remember, reasonable doubt is the benchmark (although I would venture to guess that the standard would not be quite that high in this case to find Sandusky guilty).

I agree, when you are up against 51 charges you can bet that some of it is going to stick. Like I said earlier with this incompetency by the police all the defense needs is a jury that's try to figure out what is true, what was coerced, and what was total fabrication.

The closest thing the prosecution has to an eye witness is McQueary and he didn't think enough of what he saw to even call the police. But he slammed his locker closed so Jerry knew he meant business.

[columbia]

The details are too awful to follow, but what's up with the hysterical personality disorder thing?

From what I've read its a legit social disorder but in no way is a defense for molesting children. It was a real reach by the defense.

Wouldn't that only be raised if he we're....admitting something?

[shafnutz05]

Yeah...this is the first time Sandusky's defense team came out with something strong. Remember, reasonable doubt is the benchmark (although I would venture to guess that the standard would not be quite that high in this case to find Sandusky guilty).

I agree, when you are up against 51 charges you can bet that some of it is going to stick. Like I said earlier with this incompetency by the police all the defense needs is a jury that's try to figure out what is true, what was coerced, and what was total fabrication.

The closest thing the prosecution has to an eye witness is McQueary and he didn't think enough of what he saw to even call the police. But he slammed his locker closed so Jerry knew he meant business.

In many ways, I hate McQueary as much or even more than Sandusky. Part of this is selfish, obviously (if McQueary had been a man and called the cops, this devastating scandal wouldn't have been half as devastating). But he just strikes me as a pathetic weasel ginger without a soul.

[thehockeyguru]

The details are too awful to follow, but what's up with the hysterical personality disorder thing?

From what I've read its a legit social disorder but in no way is a defense for molesting children. It was a real reach by the defense.

Wouldn't that only be raised if he we're....admitting something?

“It’s a type of personality where the person is very emotional, very attention seeking … pretty much think that the world revolves around them,”

“In my opinion, I don’t think it’s something that can be used as a mental health defense,”

Again, I'm not sure what the reasoning was behind this. I don't think the jury is going to feel sorry for him or think that its any reason to do what he's charged with.

[thehockeyguru]

Yeah...this is the first time Sandusky's defense team came out with something strong. Remember, reasonable doubt is the benchmark (although I would venture to guess that the standard would not be quite that high in this case to find Sandusky guilty).

I agree, when you are up against 51 charges you can bet that some of it is going to stick. Like I said earlier with this incompetency by the police all the defense needs is a jury that's try to figure out what is true, what was coerced, and what was total fabrication.

The closest thing the prosecution has to an eye witness is McQueary and he didn't think enough of what he saw to even call the police. But he slammed his locker closed so Jerry knew he meant business.

In many ways, I hate McQueary as much or even more than Sandusky. Part of this is selfish, obviously (if McQueary had been a man and called the cops, this devastating scandal wouldn't have been half as devastating). But he just strikes me as a pathetic weasel ginger without a soul.

I couldn't agree more. The fact that he is the key witness and not on trial with Curley and Shultz is painful.

[MWB]

I think it's just an effort to throw everything against a wall and see what sticks.

[JeffDFD]

The details are too awful to follow, but what's up with the hysterical personality disorder thing?

From what I've read its a legit social disorder but in no way is a defense for molesting children. It was a real reach by the defense.

Wouldn't that only be raised if he we're....admitting something?

“It’s a type of personality where the person is very emotional, very attention seeking … pretty much think that the world revolves around them,”

“In my opinion, I don’t think it’s something that can be used as a mental health defense,”

Again, I'm not sure what the reasoning was behind this. I don't think the jury is going to feel sorry for him or think that its any reason to do what he's charged with.

I am assuming they are using this to show that he was oddly close to these kids in an abnormal way, but not sexual. So yes, he wanted to be around them and wanted their attention at all times - which would describe all of his odd behavior and communications with the kids, but it isn't sexual in nature

Kind of like Michael Jackson I imagine and how he just couldn't grasp that it would be inappropriate to sleep in the same bed as a child and give them alcohol or whatever else happened in that case. The "no no no, this is all a big misunderstanding" defense.

[MRandall25]

The problem with the histrionic personality defense is that they don't have a baseline test to compare results to if they were to run one.

Seems too easy for Sandusky just to fake his way through it. In order to properly diagnose it, you need more than the one test, especially in a case like this.

[CBear3]

The way I see it, the real meat of the case is in victim 1 and 4. They seem to have the biggest relationships and that's what the defense is attacking. They've gone after the possible gain from a civil suit with victim 1, who said he'd get a new jeep out of the deal and his mother saying she'd get a nice new house. They've already done work planting the seed that during questioning the victims were told about each other and that the testimony may be tainted, and adding the financial incentive gives the victims motive to fabricate a story.
Histrionic personality defense addresses the "love letters" and story Sandusky is credited with writing about victim #4. Dramaticizing their relationship and attempting to re-establish his perceived connection with the boys when they grew up and started having priorities of their own.

If the defense can establish a reasonable doubt that these stories are taken out of context and didn't include a sexual nature, just general cries for attention, they may feel that the other victims more isolated incidents could be blown off as grandstanding for personal gain as well.

I don't personally believe that, but that's my theory on the defense's case. And before saying that its a crappy or morally corrupt defense, we also have to realise that its about the only one the defense can possibly raise since Sandusky has admitted to behavior that would make most reasonable adults squeemish.

[Streaks House]

Someone is wearing a Pedo Bear costume in front of the courthouse.

:face:

http://t.co/FWJ7gJPC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[count2infinity]

sandusky didn't even testify... wow. closing arguments tomorrow at 9 AM.