06/23/2012
Part of what I would say to Jerry Sandusky if I were his sentencing judge:
Mr. Sandusky, the law in Pennsylvania provides that I consider, among other factors, “the gravity of the offense as it relates to the impact on the life of the victim and on the community, and the rehabilitative needs of the defendant.”
I can think of no case in the history of Pennsylvania, with the possible exception of the crash of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, which has had a more negative effect on more people than this.
Let’s start by considering the immediate victims of this crime. These were all vulnerable young boys. They trusted you because you were a well know football coach for one of the great universities in our country. But you victimized these vulnerable young people to satisfy your own depraved desires. You were not able to control yourself, so, time after time, again and again, you subjected these children to your criminal, perverse acts. No one yet knows for how long, and how deeply, these people will suffer, but it is no stretch to say that some of them are scarred for life. Your acts were not just sexual acts, or predatory acts, but acts of betrayal.
We often overlook the impact of a crime or crimes on the community at large. But we must consider it here.
Pennsylvania State University is a great University which is widely respected throughout the nation and the world. Hundreds of thousands of graduates have become leaders of our community in diverse fields such as medicine, law, education, science, nursing, the arts, engineering, and business. Each graduate of Penn State, who carried the pride of having gone to Penn State, has suffered a bit because of the crimes you have committed and the shame you have cast on Penn State.
I also consider how your crimes have affected the 40,000 or so students who attend Penn State every year. I can imagine a freshman who came here last year, happily anticipating 4 years at “Happy Valley”, and the enormous fun of another Football season. Instead, they had to see ravenous media types invade this little town to gather up the salacious details of your behavior.
You have tarnished the “shine” on Penn State. It may take years for the school to recover, if it ever does.
Nobody yet knows how these immediate victims, and all of the other thousands, will be compensated. Will it be the burden of the taxpayers? Will it be the middle class families who have to pay sharply higher tuition rates to pay for the damage you caused?
Will the University itself suffer for years to come because of you? Will the best and the brightest students not come here because your acts have made it impossible to afford?
I also need to take into account the careers your behavior led to ruin. Joe Paterno, the winningest Coach in history, lost his job because of what YOU did. If YOU had not done what you did, NONE of this would have happened.
Graham Spanier, the President of the University was fired because of how he handled YOUR crimes. Another career destroyed.
Mike McQueary, the big assistant football coach and former quarterback, lost his job. Why? Because of how he dealt with YOUR crimes.
Mr. Sandusky, I could go on for days about all of the harm your crimes caused, but that in itself would cause yet more sadness, shame, heartache, expense, and disgrace.
For all of the reasons in the record, and taking into account all of impact on the victims and the community, I will now impose a sentence of incarceration which will most likely mean that you never again will walk free to victimize another child…..
