Oh boy, er boys, letting Jerry Sandusky do a New York Times interview is remarkable. Whatever is the accused pedophile doing? While not guilty at this point, there are some serious allegations being bandied about, some of which are seemingly watertight. But in the spirit of American jurisprudence, Sandusky is innocent until proven guilty. Right?
Joe Amendola is representing Sandusky. In fact, the State College PA lawyer was present for the Times grilling, an inquisition extending over 4 hours over 2 days. Keeping in mind that Jerry Sandusky is facing over 40 counts of molestation, any observer might wonder why the case is being fore-tried in the New York Times? What does Amendola think will be gained?
Now, in fairness, the piece is not on its face pejorative. The reporting appears balanced and the picture of Mr. Sandusky complements him in the sense that he does not appear to be a wild eyed preyer of little kids. To that extent then, perhaps something has been gained. And therein may lie lawyer Amendola’s wisdom.
But c’mon, Sandusky is a tough, tough sell. Anytime wronged kids are involved, it takes the money and pluck of Michael Jackson to get out of that kind of mess. While the gloved one was able to duck much of the muck spray he created, be sure, lot’s of cash was thrown around to quiet the crowd of interested parties. It is not likely that Jerry will be able to muster up that kind of green salve. Consequently, the facts of his case will be laid out in bas relief.
For Sandusky, a plea cop is ultimately going to be reckoned with. Certainly the destruction of Joe Paterno, Penn State and Penn State football has taken center stage BUT ultimately the blameworthy Sandusky will surely pay the price of his indiscretions. And therein lies the weakness of letting him prattle on with the NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/sports/ncaafootball/at-center-of-penn-state-scandal-sandusky-tells-his-own-story.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
“They’ve taken everything that I ever did for any young person and twisted it to say that my motives were sexual or whatever,” Mr. Sandusky said. He added: “I had kid after kid after kid who might say I was a father figure. And they just twisted that all.”
“It was, you know, almost an extended family,” Mr. Sandusky said of his household’s relationship with children from the charity. He then characterized his close experiences with children he took under his wing as “precious times,” and said that the physical aspect of the relationships “just happened that way.”
Wrestling, hugging — “I think a lot of the kids really reached out for that,” he said.
“All those good things that you were doing have been turned around,” Mr. Amendola said, speaking to his client, “and the people who are painting you as a monster are saying, ‘Well, they’re the types of things that people who are pedophiles exhibit.’ ”
“I would call kids on the phone and work with them academically,” he said. “I tried to reward them sometimes with a little money in hand, just so that they could see something. But more often than not, I tried to set up, maybe get them to save the money, and I put it directly into a savings account established for them.”
“I miss coaching,” he said. “I miss Second Mile. I miss Second Mile kids. I miss interrelationships with all kinds of people. I miss my own grandkids. I miss, I mean you know I’m going to miss my dog. So, I mean, yeah, I miss, yeah. Good grief.
“I used to have a lot of contact with a lot of people and so that circle is diminished, and as it diminished, you know Bo is still there,” he said of his dog. “And I swear he understands. I swear he knows. And you know I love him dearly for that.”
Prosecutors love to hear the accused talk. Incriminations abound in chatter. Statements can be turned and twisted, dyed and reconfigured and taken out of context. That’s what lawyers DO. As a result, the less said, is that much less of an opportunity to implicate and convict. Moreover, a seemingly weaker case is more plea-worthy than a slam dunk. Not to be forgotten is the prosecutor’s dream of a big time, reputation building high profile conviction. Sandusky’s case IS A BIG ONE!!
And so the Sandusky saga moves forwards, like an Arctic glacier headed south. Already the destruction of this travesty is irreparable. Besides the perpetrator’s own hellish future, Paterno has been ruined and the University will never be quite the same. For Amendola and the rest of the guiding beagles, a quick settlement will prove to be the best course of action for all of the parties involved except fot the lawyers themselves.
In that vein, it is obvious that the longer the shenanigans play out, the better. Billable hours, book deals and big reputations are at stake. The winners of the Happy Valley debacle will be the lawyers themselves. Understanding that, it becomes clear why Mr. Sandusky interviewed. While the former footballer thought he might somehow extricate himself or at least gain some sympathy, he did nothing but fuel the fire of this bonanza case. And if this case can be metaphorically a fire, Joe Amendola is a stoker, a stoker of the flame…
E cosi va!!
