OT: Sandusky sentenced to 30-60 years

Submitted by cheesheadwolverine on

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8481896/jerry-sandusky-sentenced-least-30-years-child-sex-abuse-charges

Not much to see here, I think we all knew that he was going to get an effective life-sentence, him being 68, and he did, but thought it was worth mentioning since it is pretty major, if totally sordid, CFB news. 

He repeated his claims of innocence, FWIW.

State Street

October 9th, 2012 at 11:11 AM ^

The judge wanted the sentence to be psychological. Making an elaborate sentence like that is essentially resigning to life in prison while the sentence he got is actually life in prison with the psychological torment of technically being able to get out if you can live that long.

ijohnb

October 9th, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^

judges too much credit for critical thinking.  I think it is more likely that many of the charges and convictions arose from occurances that were largely inseperable, i.e. six seven different convictions arising from one encounter where several crimes technically happened.  He was probably given concurrent sentences for instances such as that. 

Or maybe this judge is just screwing with his head, but in any case, as a lawyer this seems a little light.

HartAttack20

October 9th, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^

According to the ESPN coverage in Pennsylvania, the judge mentioned how for a 68 year old man this is a life sentence and that's what he wanted to do. They didn't mention a psychological motive in that, but it seems to make sense based on what the judge said.

ijohnb

October 9th, 2012 at 11:57 AM ^

is that he will never be put into general population, ever.  He will probably be in a 6 by 8 with a metal door with a food slit, half hour a day outside with no other inmates around, not in "the yard" but more like a kennel where he can only look up but not out.  Almost no human contact of any kind.

In other words, he is going to hell, and he will never leave.

SalvatoreQuattro

October 9th, 2012 at 3:08 PM ^

to do that. You can mock it by labeling it "Mantalk", but not a few would not hesitate to execute someone like Sandusky. 

It's easy to say anything either way. How would you feel if someone raped and murdered your child? Could you kill the man then?  Most humans have a breaking point between nonviolence and violence. Where that point is depends upon the person.

I know that it would not be easy to shoot the man. Frankly, I don't know if I could kill the man, but I am confident that I could find it within me to beat the shit out of Sandusky.

ijohnb

October 9th, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^

but the point that you are missing, or at least not realizing (this is no slight to you, it a very common misperception among people who support the death penalty or have an eye for an eye mentality) is that death would be a gift to Jerry Sandusky right now.  I am an attorney, I have frequented prisons and have been appointed to defend rapists, pedophiles, etc.  I practiced criminal law for some time and can speak definitively on the subject.  What Sandusky will go through in the next 30 years is worse than death.  Sandusky will be subjected to conditions that not only allow insanity to take place but actively promote it.  If the choice is death or solitary confinement for 30 years, death is a cakewalk.  There is a reason that solitary has been identified as possibly cruel and unusual punishment while death has not.   A bullet in between his eyes would be the easy sentence.  What he has coming to him is no joke.  And he has his crimes to meditate on.  Sandusky does not deserve to be affrorded the easy way out.  Let him sit and think about what he has done for 30 years without anybody to even hint to him that he is alright.  There is no harsher form of punishment.  You want suffering, that man is going to suffer in a way that death cannot contend with.

profitgoblue

October 9th, 2012 at 3:05 PM ^

If it was done through the court system, it would.  Do you all know why capital punishment is so expensive?  Legal costs and expenses.  Its pretty crazy when you think about it.  The state spends more money prosectuting a capital murder case than the state spends keeping a person alive in the prison system for life.

 

triangle_M

October 9th, 2012 at 11:49 AM ^

Yes, but, there aren't a lot of better alternatives (lets not descend into a discussion of capital punishment or torture). 

I don't know enough about sentencing and probation, but it used to be that 30 years really meant 5 (or whatever) with good behavior.  It would be a shame for Mr. Sandusky to have any semblance of a normal life out of the penal system. 

Wolverine Incognito

October 9th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^

Sandusky's well being is now in the hands of the state of PA.  So if some inmates decided to "teach Sandusky a lesson", and were to kill Sandusky, then Sandusky's estate could sue the state of PA for a wrongful death.  How messed up is that/How big of a waste of taxpayer dollars would that be?

readyourguard

October 9th, 2012 at 11:57 AM ^

He won't make it 5. Finally, this animal will feel the terror of not knowing what the night brings as he cries himself to sleep, wondering who might be coming through the door.



Piss off old man.

bluebyyou

October 9th, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^

This sordid tale is not over yet.  Two trials coming up in January and then the civil suits if PSU doesn't settle them first.  Sandusky should rot in hell along with those who helped perpetrate this scheme.

I wonder if the Paterno family will make a statement any time soon - nothing they do surprises me.

ChiBlueBoy

October 9th, 2012 at 12:27 PM ^

I will not allow his ugliness to cause me to get caught up in hatred and a call for revenge. Better to acknowledge the atrocities, feel pain for the victims, and hope that he burns off some small portion of the shit-ton of bad karma that he's created for himself. Sandusky will be in hell--but he's already been in hell for a long time, and he's created a hell for his victims. My hope is that those victims find peace and that we don't allow a monster to make us all become our own variety of monsters by getting caught up in our own hells of hatred and anger.

jdon

October 9th, 2012 at 8:15 PM ^

an eye for an eye, leaves the world blind.

 

Death penalty is ridiculous.  I don't know how its possible, but maybe he can find it within himself to redeem his self during his time in prison.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think he should ever get out. However, I think that no one has the right to take another man's life and that includes convicted pedophiles. 

 

jdon

turtleboy

October 9th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^

Sociopath. Maybe even actually believes he didn't do anything wrong. It's so sick. Minimum 30 seems weak for someone who was likely raping for 30. At least he'll die in prison.

Everyone Murders

October 9th, 2012 at 12:59 PM ^

From what I understand, most judges in the Pennsylvania state courts are elected officials, so I expected that the judge would impose a massive sentence for the political benefit of doing so. (While Paterno may still have PA sympathizers, it seems that nobody in PA outside of a close inner circle feel any sympathy for Sandusky). 

Today I noticed that the presiding judge for Sandusky is a "senior judge" - i.e., an appointed retiree.  These seem to be retirees and appointed judges.  (Details here - http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/201/chapter7/s701.html  .)  I wonder if the relatively tempered sentence for Sandusky partially reflects that the judge is unconcerned about the political consequences of his sentence. 

Obviously, the depravity of Sandusky's crimes (and his utter lack of contrition) seem to call for a harsher sentence.  So it's hard to understand why the sentence does not seem proportional to the crime.  (I'm also curious as to what the PA sentencing guidelines are here.)

In any event, glad to see Sandusky off the streets for his natural lifetime.  Even if he makes it to 98, I suspect his parole hearings would be routine denials on the order of Charlie Manson et al.  He's not getting out until he's 128.  And he's not going to be 128.

LSAClassOf2000

October 9th, 2012 at 1:42 PM ^

The transcript of the statement he prepared for radio yesterday is here - (LINK)

It's a painful read because it is pretty clear, and least to me, that he is pretty much locked into denial at this point, and indeed, he doesn't hide his contempt at the perceived unfairness of everything that he has experienced. He even takes what I think are a couple thinly veiled potshots at the accusers and their families, though in another portion of the statement he states that he has never "put down" anyone involved.

I am also glad he will not see freedom again.