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Governor Tom Corbett: “I was not the driving force behind the firing of Joe Paterno”

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Last month, ESPN the Magazine published a scathing article critical of Governor Tom Corbett’s role in the firing of the late Joe Paterno last November. The iconic Penn State Head Coach was dismissed by the Penn State Board of Trustees, of which Governor Corbett is an ex-officio member, in the immediate aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal.

Appearing on Radio PA’s “Ask the Governor” program Thursday, Governor Corbett made his most extensive comments on the article to date, calling it “sloppy journalism” and disputing several points, including a claim by ESPN that he refused numerous requests to respond to the article. Corbett says the magazine contacted his office on the eve of his European trade mission, but that he would have been happy to speak with them upon his return.

The ESPN article portrays Corbett the driving force behind the firing of Joe Paterno, a claim he flatly denies. Corbett told Radio PA that he played a minor role in the conference call the evening the decision was made to fire Paterno, primarily reminding the trustees to “remember the children.”

Newly-elected Penn State Board of Trustees member Anthony Lubrano has been critical of the governor based on the information in the ESPN article. He told WITF radio this week that he did believe the governor played a significant role in the dismissal of Paterno. Lubrano was elected to the 32-member board on a platform largely based on alumni outrage over the handling of Joe Paterno in the days after the Sandusky scandal rocked the university.

Governor Corbett says he plans to meet with Lubrano and other board members to further discuss the issue and he believes Lubrano’s opinion will change based on those talks.

 

 

Few Issues Resolved at Brief Hearing

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Joe Amendola

Joe Amendola

All the major pre-trial issues remain in play, as Jerry Sandusky’s defense lawyer will argue for the charges to be thrown out at a later date.  “Those motions and those issues are still very much at issue here in the case,” attorney Joe Amendola told the media following a brief hearing in Centre County Court. 

State prosecutor Joe McGettigan suggests that the defense team’s pre-trial tactics have been lengthy and pointless.  But Amendola responds that, “If the Commonwealth had been more specific, we probably wouldn’t be here today.” 

Joe McGettigan

Amendola wants many of the charges thrown out based on a lack of specifics from the Commonwealth.  It’s a notion that state prosecutor Joe McGettigan steadfastly denies.  “We have provided voluminous specificity as to the acts with which he is charged,” McGettigan told the mass of reporters who gathered at the courthouse in Bellefonte.    

A few of Jerry Sandusky’s pre-trial motions were withdrawn on Thursday, including a request to suppress statements Sandusky made to authorities in 1998 and a request to suppress intercepted phone conversations Sandusky had with two of the alleged victims.  Amendola tells reporters that both pieces of evidence will actually help the defense at trial.    

The 68-year-old Jerry Sandusky – a once iconic assistant football coach at Penn State – remains on house arrest following his November arrest on 52-counts of child sex abuse. 

Amendola says his client’s spirits are high, and Sandusky looks forward to spending the Easter holiday with most of his family.  McGettigan says the Commonwealth looks forward to the victims getting their day in court. 

Right now it looks that that will happen in early summer, as jury selection is slated to begin on June 5th.

Jerry Sandusky Pre-Trial Hearing Today

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    The key principles in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case are gathering in Centre County today for a pre-trial hearing on a variety of issues, including a defense request to dismiss all charges against the former Penn State assistant coach.

    With the trial still two months away, more than 100 journalists have gathered at the Centre County Courthouse for today’s hearing. Jerry Sandusky is expected to be in the courtroom for the proceeding. Some of the key disputes to be discussed today include how much information the state will have to turn over to the defense in advance of the trial and what evidence will be admitted in the case.

    Sandusky is charged with more than 50 counts of child sexual abuse against at least 10 young boys over more than a decade. He is currently under house arrest and awaiting his trial in June.

Christman Blog – Joe Paterno: Legend, Icon…Human

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    It was November 9th, 2011 and the Penn State Board of Trustees had just announced the firing of Joe Paterno. My first thoughts were not of the countless Saturdays I spent watching JoePa prowl the sidelines, or of the 409 wins that will probably stand as a Division I record forever. These were ingrained and cherished memories I would later relive, but first the journalist in me began began analyzing where the Jerry Sandusky scandal would fit in to this legendary icon’s eventual obituary.

    Sadly, today we have our answer to that question, and it has come far too soon. Just 74 days after his dismissal, Joe Paterno passed away at the Mount Nittany Medical Center on Sunday morning. The official cause of death was complications from lung cancer, but as everyone in Penn State country knows, it may very well have been a broken heart that ended the coach’s life.

    Upon his death, almost immediately the internet comment boards accompanying each Paterno obituary lit up with arguments over what manner of man Paterno was. Was he the iconic legend known to the world for most of his 61 incredible years at Penn State? Was he a man who should first be remembered for perhaps looking the other way as the Sandusky allegations quietly swirled in the State College winds for years? To be fair, Paterno met his legal obligations according to state prosecutors handling the Sandusky case. Paterno was never a target of the investigation and he cooperated fully with the grand jury. However, it was only days after the release of the first grand jury presentment against Sandusky that questions were being asked. What did Joe know? When did he know it? Why didn’t he follow up with police after reporting an alleged 2002 shower incident to his Athletic Director? They were complicated questions, and even today it’s difficult to know if there is enough information to accurately answer them.

    But the great debate has clouded what should be a day to remember all of the good Joe Paterno contributed to his school and the community he loved so dearly. Should the obituary ignore the Sandusky matter that led to Paterno’s firing? Absolutely not. Should it be the lead in the story? Again, absolutely not.

    Only history will tell us how JoePa will be remembered, and there is much of the Jerry Sandusky story yet to be told. It will be many months before Sandusky gets his day in court, and the testimony and eventual outcome of that trial will be a large chapter in the life of Joe Paterno as well.

    For today, though, this Penn State fan is taking the time to remember those countless Saturdays, the 409 wins, the black sneakers, the thick glasses and the rolled up pants. I’m also remembering the millions of dollars Joe Paterno and wife Sue have donated to their school and community. I’m remembering all the high school football players who entered Joe Paterno’s program as boys and left as men. And, I’m remembering that while Joe Paterno was an icon, and a legend, he was also a man. No human being is perfect, and we all leave this plane of existence with regrets. JoePa was no different.

 

Joseph Vincent Paterno: 1926-2012

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    He spent 61 years serving the university he loved, and today millions of fans are mourning the death of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.

    “JoePa” spent 46 of his years at Penn State as Head Coach, guiding his teams to five undefeated seasons and two national championships in 1982 and 1986. His 409 wins is a Division I record that may never be broken. He was a modern day throwback to another era of football, often sharing with reporters stories of Vince Lombardi and other names from the sport’s great past. His black sneakers, rolled up pantlegs, white socks and trademark glasses were part of Penn State Saturdays for decades. His “Grand Experiment” focused on making sure his players were student athletes, and the graduation rates reflected that philosophy.

    Paterno is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and according to the university, he donated more than $5 million to the school, including the library that bears his name along with wife Sue Paterno. He contributed more than $1 million to the Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he passed away this morning.

    Paterno was fired from his longtime position on November 9th following the scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. While Paterno was never a target in the criminal probe, many questioned his failure to do more than simply report the allegations to his Athletic Director, Tim Curley. According to a grand jury presentment, Paterno was made aware of an alleged 2002 incident involving Sandusky in a football facility shower. Curley and another university administrator were charged with failure to report that case to authorities.

    While Paterno had tended to his legal obligations according to state prosecutors, many said he had a higher moral responsibility to follow up on the case with police. Among them, the Penn State University Board of Trustees, who dismissed Paterno 74 days ago. Shortly thereafter, it was announced the coach was undergoing treatment for a “treatable” form of lung cancer. He was admitted to Mount Nittany Medical Center nine days ago with complications, and passed away at 9:25am Sunday morning. The previous evening, his family had gathered at his bedside for their final goodbyes, even as some media outlets were prematurely reporting Paterno’s death.

    Joe Paterno was 85 years old.

Sandusky Fallout, in their Own Words

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Mark Costanzo

Mark Costanzo

By waiving his right to a preliminary hearing, Jerry Sandusky’s child sex abuse charges will advance to a likely trial in 2012.  Senior Deputy Attorney General Mark Costanzo says the Commonwealth was ready to proceed with Tuesday’s hearing:

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Sandusky’s attorney Joe Amendola took to the Centre County Courthouse steps, in Bellefonte, to explain the surprise move:  

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Joe Amendola

Joe Amendola

Attorney Howard Janet, who represents the accuser known as “victim 6” in the grand jury report, reacts to Tuesday’s events:

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Howard Janet

Howard Janet

Attorney Slade McLaughlin, who represents the accuser known as “victim 1,” says the waiver shows weakness in the defense:

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Slade McLaughlin

Slade McLaughlin

However Joe Amendola maintains that there have been – and will be – no plea negotiations.  Sandusky will not have to be present for his formal arraignment on January 11th.  In fact, Amendola says they’ve already entered a plea of “not guilty,” and requested a jury trial.

Jerry Sandusky Waives Preliminary Hearing

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In a shocking twist, Jerry Sandusky and his attorney decided to waive his preliminary hearing on child sex abuse charges. As such, a hearing that was expected to take an entire day and include testimony from several alleged victims was instead over in minutes.

This was the first indication that the defense was prepared to waive the preliminary hearing, and it comes after great lengths were taken by both court officials and the media. Sandusky was in and out of the courthouse in less than an hour. His attorney accompanied him, but said he would return to answer questions.

 

Sandusky Hearing About to Begin

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    The key players in the Jerry Sandusky case have been arriving at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte this morning for a preliminary hearing that will determine if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial. Sandusky arrived just before 8am and did not answer reporters’ questions as he walked into the courthouse with his wife.

    There is heavy security at the courthouse for today’s hearing, where Sandusky will face some of his accusers for the first time since he was arrested last month. Most of the alleged victims are now adults. Sandusky faces more than 50 counts of child sex abuse against 10 teen-aged boys over a 15 year period. He maintains his innocence, but the scandal has rocked Penn State University, where Sandusky served as a defensive football coach under Joe Paterno for three decades.

Preliminary Hearing Day for Jerry Sandusky

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    As the sun rose over the small town of Bellefonte this morning, all eyes (and cameras) were focused on the Centre County Courthouse. News helicopters patrolled the pre-dawn skies and the courthouse, decorated for the holidays, was fully lit. This is where Jerry Sandusky will today face some of his accusers for the first time since his arrest on child sex charges last month.

    Hundreds of journalists are present to cover what is normally a mundane court procedure. In many cases, in fact, preliminary hearings are waived altogether. In addition to the national and local press, some members of the public will be present in the courtroom today. More than 1300 people applied for a precious few open seats set aside for the public. Some of those lottery winners were at the courthouse before dawn.

    Sandusky faces more than 50 counts of child sexual abuse against at least 10 teen-aged boys over a decade and a half. The ensuing scandal led to the firing of legendary Head Coach Joe Paterno and Penn State University President Graham Spanier. Sandusky, the former revered Penn State defensive coach, maintains his innocence. The purpose of today’s hearing is for a judge to determine if there is enough evidence for the case against Sandusky to go to trial.