No it doesn't mean he's a bigger pervert. It means if he indeed has this, it may have been what triggers his actions.

I think what he did (if indeed he did these things) is disgusting and should be punished. But it's not fair to say he's more of a pervert because he has a mental disorder. When a disorder affects the brain like that, it literally means a person isn't able to process information the same, make the same decisions that "normal" people feel are a piece of cake.

Let's say someone has dimentia. Is it fair to say they're not fit for society because they have a disorder they literally cannot control?

Again, what he did is sick. But as bad as it is, sometimes there are brain disorders which affect decision-making, processing, etc. I see it every day as a special education teacher. Tasks that are "easy" for the "everyday" person, are near impossible for those with a severe brain disorder.

However, everyone around him knew, including his wife, whom I believe should be charged with SOMETHING. They did NOTHING. How absolutely sick is the entire situation. Again, nice try, but it simply doesn't work for me.

Ok, if they've decided that they want to argue "insanity" that can only mean one thing, he's guilty.

Of coarse he has a disorder...he likes diddling with little kids , and that is supposed to be his excuse !!? Hang the creep !

Honestly, it sounds like this is almost a last minute change in the defense strategy and a last ditch effort. In several previous cases that have gotten media attention, defense attorneys immediately use the psychological/insanity approach from almost the start of the trial process if they feel that their client would qualify for "Guilty By Reason of Insanity". They are waiting until after the prosecution got done with all or most of their evidence and testimonies before the defense threw in their claims that this was all a psychological disorder Sandusky suffers from. It doesn't make sense to start claiming this now when the trial is at about the half way mark. And if Sandusky does suffer from this, wouldn't this have been mentioned a long time ago concerning medication he's taking, psychological treatments he had gone through or disturbances in his work? It just doesn't seem to add up.

Sandusky needs to get what Dahmer got in Prison, a nice long broomstick..........

Actually, getting "off" on the basis of a psychiatric/mental disorder is not what people think it is. The person doesn't walk free. They are immediately committed to a prison that is also a residential psychiatric facility. They stay there until they can prove beyond a reasonable certainty that they are not a danger to themselves or others. For most this is a life sentence. And residential mental instuitutions are less of a good place to be than prisons. They are understaffed and perpetually underfunded and almost always simply use massive amounts of anti-psychotic drugs to turn the "patients" into slobbering zombies. Anyone who gives trouble is strapped down naked on a rubber sheet --- possibly for the rest of their lives.

This is not something pleasant. If you want a great example, look at John Hinkley. His federal sentence would have been served and over years ago if he has been convicted of his crimes and received the maximum sentence. But as it is, he is still an inmate and will be, in some form, until he dies.

Oh Sure! That is a good one! Insanity disorder? I am sure that he will find a way out of jail. If there is any hope in the legal system, this man SHOULD SERVE TIME. Is he going to argue that his wife is "sick" too?

They are immediately committed to a prison that is also a residential psychiatric facility

Oh Yeah! with cable TV, saunas, a chef and, what else? Only the best that money can buy.

What a country!

bubba-1946427: Are you really THE Bubba? The one so many commenters want Sandusky to meet in prison.

Truth about LGBT

Give me a scientific study by people who are not driven by religious views to look at the study of homosexuals and bisexuals. I don't trust websites that are driven by biblical or religious views due to the fact that most of the studies are based on research that is influenced by one's beliefs instead of being neutral on the matter.

And stop spamming.

I agree he does have a psychiatric disorder. He's a pervert.

What this guy is trying to do to get out of trouble is almost as bad, or worse then the crime he is accused of doing. I am reminded of an old saying..... " If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck . . . it must be a duck " No matter what Jerry Sandusky's defense lawyer does, Jerry Sandusky still is a " sitting " duck !

Sounds to me like his lawyer has decided that he doesn't stand a chance of getting him acquitted on the charges and has been spending lots of time pouring through psychiatric journals trying to find some disorder that might fit in an attempt to get him off (legally for a change).

He's a rapist, child molester, a pervert, a liar, and a cheating husband. Did I say, dirty pig?

Once he's found guilty, we should let his fellow prison inmates discuss his psychiatric disorder.

What difference does it make if he has histrionic problems, or he was intentionally grooming young boys without the histrionics? NONE whatsoever.

"HPD...homosexual pedophile disorder."

That's the right on man. You said it all.

I had a friend in high school who was a sexual abuse victim who has dealt with manic depression, has a personality disorder, who never used any of these factors as an excuse to abuse another person the way that this man has. Even if Sandusky was himself a survivor of sexual abuse justice must be served.

If he was a victim of rape then the sentence should be lenient, but also teach him a lesson that will prevent him from abusing another person and send a message to other potential predators.

HELLO MSN !??!??!??? Do you not have a moderator working today? RE: Posts from "Truth (Lies) about LGBT"

State of Awareness: Try the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Recent studies find a definite correlation between childhood sexual abuse and "sexual identity" issues as adults.

jac- Censorship rules eh? Are you saying what you define as lies should be "moderated?" Where is your spirit of healthy debate?

Ron Hinton (Truth about LBGT), you have been reported for spamming. Are you still on the CA sex offender's registry?

Sandusky has an Axis II disorder, alright. He is a psychopath, or to be more DSM correct- an Antisocial Personality Disorder. He and Ron Hinton have a lot in common.

may he burn in hell with the catholic priests that have done the same thing for decades.

I guess that's what all those Catholic priests have.

If he is sick and was not found out about by one of the best colleges the USA has to offer, then what does that say about this college. This man hurt young men for life. Pay the young men he hurt. Put him in jail and his wife and all others that new about him must be charged for something also.

Sounded to me from his little story to one of the boys that was read in court, that his Father used to abuse Jer the same way. More of the multi-generational incestuous morons feeding the cabal their children and everyone else's they can get their twisted hands on. Gerry Ford was proven to use these kind of guys to get children for secret programs that were exposed in the 80's. Josh Powell's dad is probably another. Read "The Trance Formation of America" by Kathy O'brien, she lived it. But no point being violent to these fools. Simply put them away, alone, and make them work for their keep. They'll die out on their own eventually.

Sounds like they are trying to keep his fanny out of general population prison. I can only imagine what will happen to him once his fellow inmates find out what he is charged with. Cruel and unusual punishment Sandusky?

@ mrm:

"Ron Hinton (Truth about LBGT), you have been reported for spamming. Are you still on the CA sex offender's registry?"

Pretty heavy accusation there. Care to back it up with citations?

@ NC:

"Gerry Ford was proven to use these kind of guys to get children for secret programs that were exposed in the 80's."

Again, citations please.

This is one of the defense tatic to save this pedomaniacabal. Let them alone and allows a stupid pedo judge set him free to the people whom is patiently awaiting the scumbag...Why didn't him go do it in broad day lignt to anyone in the public eyes??? Why no women nor girls ?Why it's only little under previllage male's his problem appetite craved ? Oh please give me a breath.

Is he then admitting that he did molest the children? If he did nothing wrong, why bring in evidence to say he had a disorder to cause it?

If it is established that he does really have a disorder that caused him to molest children beyond his control (which I find hard to believe but am not an expert, so for the sake of this post-will pretend is possible) he belongs in an institution for the criminally insane instead of jail for the rest of his life.

too much psycho babble for me. and what is the defense for all the enablers who stood by and let this ''football hero'' molest children. his wife knew -i think i find her even more detestable. he deserves to be severely punished and the victims deserve compensation -------a large award from the university for their part in this covered up scandal.

He kills no one, but the people complained b/cuz he overly abused our innocents, our promising Male's of tomorrow, so justice must prevail...PUT HIM AWAY FOR LIFE...all by himself with no other human in his sight, let him do hard labour for his daily bread for the rest of his breathing life. let his wife have some too for her deaf role in the scream she never heard nor reported.

Well, the jury ain't in yet, but I guess he'll get mental care and thumb his nose at all. Justice is blind here?

"Personality disorder" is a mental defect which is diagnosed and treated by mental health professionals. It differs from "legal mental illness" in that it is not within the scope of those mental defects which serve as the basis of a defense of "not guilty by reason of insanity", which is also diagnosed and treated by mental health professionals. Legislation defines the difference between those mental defects which fall with the definition of "legal mental illness" and mental defects which do not. So "personality disorder", as in this case, is being used to explain a behavior as opposed to an attempt toward exoneration. It does not in itself in any manner mitigate guilt nor punishment. In fact, in many jurisdictions, it permits further civil confinement for treatment after confinement for punishment has been completed. Discharge from civil post-punishment confinement is only allowed after he can show that he is no longer likely to uncontrollably re-offend if he is released. It is effectively the possibility of lifetime confinement after penal release.

The disadvantage of this strategy is that it amounts to an admission by the defense that the facts of the "grooming behavior" are true. It is relevant to show the motive behind his behavior, which he is now admitting. So he is at least admitting that the precursor events did occur. He would have to go on in his defense to deny that any forbidden sexual acts occurred, and that he had no mental state of seeking sexual gratification. If the prosecution can prove beyond a reasonable doubt through direct or circumstantial evidence that he did do the forbidden sexual contact while thinking of sexual gratification, which caused the forbidden result of this contact, he will stand convicted. This admission can be expected not to advance his position very well, at risk of helping the prosecution instead. By now the jury is likely well swayed toward thinking the worst of him as a result of the evidence already presented and a conviction is likely. We will have to wait to see whether his sense of ego is sufficiently formed to permit his toleration or self-denial of this accusatory experience, or whether he will truncate this entire thing by taking his own life.

Project MKULTRA was first brought to wide public attention in 1975 by the U.S. Congress, through investigations by the Church Committee, and by a presidential commission known as the Rockefeller Commission.

In 1977, a Freedom Of Information Act request uncovered a cache of 20,000 documents^[7] relating to project MKULTRA, which led to Senate hearings later that same year.^[2]

7 - ^ ^{a b} "Government Mind Control Records of MKULTRA & Bluebird/Artichoke". Wanttoknow.info. Retrieved 2010-03-26.

2 - ^ ^{a b c} "Project MKULTRA, the CIA's Program of Research into Behavioral Modification. Joint Hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Health and Scientific Research of the Committee on Human Resources, United State Senate, Ninety-Fifth Congress, First Session". U.S. Government Printing Office

and of course, you can see Kathy herself on youtube.....

Of course he has a personality disorder. Most human beings are not child molesters so there is something wrong with him. So, what? This is not about pity for him. It is about protecting children from him and punishing him for the lives he has ruined. He can have a personality disorder in prison for the rest of his life and it should be considered if his wife needs to be punished for not stopping such things when she was home.

There are many people with Histrionic Personality Disorder. They aren't all raping kids. This disorder doesn't say "unable to resist pedophilic behaviors". It says inappropriately seductive. That doesn't mean serially raping, molesting, and doing all the things his victims (and yes, I definitely believe them) say he did. I see they mean why he acted that way to groom them, but his whole picture isn't just histrionic. Sorry, guys.

At the age of 10 ,-12 a child will mahe changes in their now growing stage and becomes a great ruler later in their adult life...A great person, A father, teacher, minister, Today they are mentaly disrupted by this evil monster. Almighty God let thy will be done in this case.

this judge needs to loose his job!

Sweet Jesus, truth about LGBT, wow! I actually had to spend time figuring out how to block you!

Doug James

If he is sick and was not found out about by one of the best colleges the USA has to offer, then what does that say about this college.

Wrong! PSU is nothing more than an average university with average admission criteria. There are over 200 colleges and universities on the east coast alone that offer a better or comparable education. PSU offers big time athletics. Their sports teams garner most of the attention and focus. This is evident with how football was protected before children.

Football programs protect all kinds of misconduct. Look at Auburn and Cam Newton. If his dad didnt get paid how did his church get the 200 grand to do repairs and restoration?

If you dont think there is a gap between what you and I get to do, and what the wealthy or connected get to do, you are naive.

I remember a lively philosophical discussion in open class during my freshman year. Are babies born with evil personalities or are such personalities solely a product of the individual's environment? i argued strongly for the latter. My understanding of evil is a conscious and willful effort to satisfy one's own desires at any cost to another or many others.

Do children of overthrown vicious dictators strive to become vicious dictators? No. They normally strive to lead quiet lives completely out of the limelight of their infamous parent(s). Do children of current vicious dictators often follow in the parent's footsteps when the parent dies? Yes. They have been groomed since birth to do exactly that. Yet, each of these progeny must make that decision for themselves. They are products of their environment and their own willful conduct, not genetics.

I fail to see Sandusky's evil behavior as an excusable mental disorder. His actions have brought serious harm to everybody that mistakenly thought they knew him well and often irreparable harm to trusting and defenseless children. If this proves to be a valid defense, then we must also excuse Adolph Hitler, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein as well as all serial killers and rapists. All of them had to have serious mental disorders to commit such atrocities against humanity.

Commonsense,

I certainly think there is at least two types of evil in that context.

Learned evil. There is more than a truck load of evidence that proves that sexual abuse can create those tendencies in the abused.

Genetic evil. There is more than a truck load of evidence that proves that certain mental disabilities can cause a person to do things a normal person wouldnt do.

At the end of the day we are all human. You choose to do what is right, or you choose the latter.

Saying God made you that way carries ZERO weight with me.

Religion can also be a scapegoat for the evil among us.

Jeffery Dahmer and the Son of Sam killer could be said to have a similar "psychiatric illness" as this child rapist, doesn't mean he has any place in civilized society. OK, they want to argue this line of reason, under one condition. Submit him to daily doses of electro convulsive therapy, or the loss of his, oh never mind.... For similar reason, I hope Dahmer never sees the light of day, wrt life outside the prison system. What he, or Sandusky would do upon release; they shouldn't have the chance.... Perhaps if Sandusky is 80, a parapalegic, and physically incapeable of forcing himself on anyone, or of cuasing harm to others, but not before....

A little alone time, without gaurd protection in the prison system, as the inmates are informed what he's in there for, might also work wonders to put this psychopath in check. Prison populations don't tend to like crimminals who harm children like he had....

But it's not fair to say he's more of a pervert because he has a mental disorder. When a disorder affects the brain like that, it literally means a person isn't able to process information the same, make the same decisions that "normal" people feel are a piece of cake.

onwis4 - Wow! Wouldn't the defense like to have you on the jury!!! You are misinterpreting what James is trying to say. The disorder affects 2-3% of the population. That 2-3% contains four times as many women as men, which is the same as saying that the disorder is very, very rare in men. Look at it this way. Three percent of a population of 1000 individuals is 30. Out of that 30, 24 will be women with the disorder and 6 will be men. Therefore, out of a population of 1000 people, only 6 will be men who have the disorder. Thus, the percent of men who have the disorder is 0.6% of the general population. James is saying that since the percent of men who have the disorder is so small, then that means that it is even moreunlikely that Sandusky actually has this problem. James stated this by saying that this makes Sandusky an even more of a pervert.

Truth About LGBT - you should get some professional counseling to help you accept your clearly latent homosexual tendencies since you obviously can not deal with them on your own.

Yes let's look at John Hinckley. In 1999 he was allowed to leave for supervised visits to his parents. This evolved and in 2009 the judge allowed him to visit his mother for a dozen visits of 10 days, spend more time outside the hospital and have a driver's license. He was required to have a GPS enabled phone on himself when outside his parents' home. Currently he has even more liberties than in 2009.

I wonder if histrionics was the cause of Sandusky saying on that t.v. interview that he was attracted to both male and female young people .

Hey mrm, slander much? Just checked the CA registry and there is no mention of your nemesis.

@ mrm:

"Ron Hinton (Truth about LBGT), you have been reported for spamming. Are you still on the CA sex offender's registry?"

Pretty heavy accusation there. Care to back it up with citations?

Well do ya? Or will you admit to deliberately making a false accusation? That's slander.

The victims misunderstood Sandusky's actions? He's just a really friendly guy. Yea, we'll try that.

@salvia, that's the problem... And if he gets his sentence lessened on the basis of an insanity plea, how long will it be before some claim he's been treated, and start arguing for him to get re-introduced back into the rest of society. The people in his community don't necessarily want him there, as evidenced by some who took issue with him being able to walk the streets around their kids after this all came to light last year. And there's precedent for it....

But this is where some, and myself would be at an impass. Because whereas some want to try to "explain" why some people are socio-pathic, find a "cause" outside themselves, and somehow think they can make it better; I've really come to the conclusion that some (not all, but some) people really are bad people, and to try to convince people "they changed...." And socio-paths like this person was only one such example. People like Zarqawi (the terrorist in Iraq that sawed people's heads off) has only added to this sense. And though not necessarily all psychiatrists have come to such conclusion, some like M. Scott Peck (in his book People of the Lie) has also come to consider this after experience with some patients. Patients like what he opened the book with, from his days as an intern, where a teen who had been a good student until one day where his grades sliped, he stole a car, and became rathe self destructive.

As he investigated, it turned out his parents gave him his brother's suicide weapon as a Christmas present, and then copped an attitude when he asked them if they considered what sort of message this would send them. By the time the conversation was done, he just wanted to go home, climb in his bed, and get far away from, tbh, them.... He had an abject sense of repulsion, and had also said that some other psychiatrists have run into "that one case" that leaves them grapling with the issue of human evil.... I think forensic psychiatrists, for much the same reason face this, and yes due to these sorts of psychopathic individuals.... Having to climb into the minds of these animals, in orde to figure out how they think so they can give the police information they need to help apprehend such individuals, no doubt could take their toll, how much ever training/education was involved....

Yeah, he has a psychiatric disorder alright.
It is called pedophilia.
If he is convicted and sent to prison he will hopefully get a taste of his own medicine.

I'm with you, JM California. Every time I hear his name, I hear my grandmother's voice saying,

"Dirty, filthy pig!"

Well this judge is just as I said he was a few days ago: A pawn in the game of keep Penn State well. This 'ploy' had better not work with the jury.

If these citizens find this monster not guilty or in any other parlance free him, I feel sorry for their future lives.

I also would recommend this monster leave the country because there are lots of folks who feel the judges and the court system in general favors fools such as this monster and are damn tired of seeing blatant disrespect for the rights of the citizens.

Although I read a story which said a man was set free in a double murder trial because he had Type 2 diabetes. That must have been a terrific closing statement by the attorney for the defense.

Anyway, I have predicted that this monster will walk and that is due to political fears by the Governor and the current Attorney General and the many acolytes from Penn State who serve on the jury and those 'civilians' who are wage earners directly or indirectly associated with Penn State.

Move along folks the only thing to see here is more unbridled corruption.

What a damn shame. Those boys deserve to not be ‘stiffed’ in any way shape or form…. again !

They're scrambling to come up with something, its funny to see the desperation, let me shed light, there are millions of people out their with personality disorders that aren't raping kids.

This rich/famous guy defense of a paychiatric disorder causing them to be a pedophile and to repeatedly rape little boys, has the full support of the Catholic Church, the Democratic and Republican Political Parties, Boys Town, School Boards and Church Staffs EVERYWHERE!!!! I see a lot of sex-rehab country club facilities in the future in places like Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, etc. That means lots of new jobs for young looking petite individuals. The industry is already so big in their mind that they could never close it down, I mean look at all the people that would lose their jobs.

A large percentage of prison inmates have a personality disorder. Its not a legal defense against doing anything criminal. Especially if you get into the personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder, etc. they know what they do is wrong, they just don't care. That's why Ted Bundy, et al, are either executed or sentenced to life. They are not going to change, because you cannot change a life long personality, even a disordered one.

Truth About LGBT

It would be nice if you would stop taking up space on the blog page with your copy and paste BS,I just skip over you now nothing personal.

What the hell are we talking about ... it's taken for granted that he has a "paychiatric disorder" do do the things he has done to little boys ...

But what pisses me off is his lawyers dragging the boys through the mud calling them money hounds ... and now wait ... it's the sicko defense ... which is what everyone was saying in the first place ... just put him away!!!!!

Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Timmy McVeigh, Jim Jones, Marshall Applewhite ... The list goes on and on of people that had "psychiatric disorder" but the difference is that they are all dead or behind bars. This defense does not in any way justify the actions of this man and should not be accepted to legally reduce his punishment. And that goes for the scum that covered for him for years.
He should be punished in the same manner that he punished the young men he forced himself on. In prison with bigger sexually active men who have been given Viagra.

@irespond,

You are completely wrong. Secure inpatient psychiatric facilities are among the most underfunded and understaffed hospitals in the country. There is no cable TV, no sauna, no chef. Lunch is cherry kool-ade and baloney sandwiches or cheese sandwiches every day. There is not enough staff to keep any sort of discipline, so the sole physician (the norm) prescribes massive amounts of anti-psychotic drugs that leave the inmates slobbering zombies without any sense of time or what is going on. If the person resists even a little, they are put in restraints --- this means that they are pun in a hospital gown and put on a bed with a rubber sheet and tied down --- potentially for the rest of their lives. When the inmates are drugged or restrained they get no visitors. The drugs have eventually lethal side effrects as does constant restraint. Now the facilities are resuming the use of frequent electro-shock "therapy" at a level that amounts to a temporary frontal lobotomy. One "treatment" results in a month to six weeks of complete confusion and docility.

Without meaningful treatment it is a life sentence. With meaningful treatment is is a life sentence. It is not pleasant. It would not be a "win" for Sandusky.

NC open heart: I just watched Cathy O'Brien on U-Tube where she plugged her book that you recommended. To suggest that Jerry Sandusky is part of some covert "New World Order" is the most far-fetched conspiracy theory I have ever heard.

Ironically, I think Ms. O'Brien is suffering from Historionic Personality Disorder herself.

Truth About LGBT <<<< what an idiot...your rants have nothing to do with this article. Shut the Hell up..

We can see that the defense is struggling to stay above water and is truly grasping at straws with this defense. Why bother? They get paid anyway.

Alcoholics have psychological disorders too, but it doesn't get them out of DUIs or vehicular manslaughter charges when they kill someone.

All this does is help explain his behavior, it doesn't excuse it. If you have a cold and you sneeze because of it, you are feeling the effects of an illness that is beyond your control. Psychological illness is not quite the same thing. It maybe produce symptoms, but the actions that come from that are not totally involuntary.

What is really bad in this case is that it is becoming more apparent that people around him knew about what was going on. We have a problem that as humans we hesitate to call out people about things we see as some type character disorder. We don't look at other illnesses that way. When we observe someone physically sick, we don't hesitate to suggest they get to a doctor and get treatment, but with a mental illness, we hold back and often just let that person deal with his/her issue on their own because we don't really see it as a sickness. I suppose it is different too because we know that many of these behavioral symptoms from these mental illnesses may also be criminal behavior. Maybe we hesitate because we don't want to seem accusatory.

In this case as people remained silent, Sandusky apparently continued to prey on these young boys and in some cases, do very serious psychological damage to them. I would be curious to understand just how he picked his "victims". Was it purely an attraction to physical characteristic or did it also have something to do with observed psychological characteristics? Did he choose those who he saw as troubled, or easy to intimidate? Did he look for those who he felt were the least likely to rat him out? I think this is important to understand as I suspect there is some component here that makes some more vulnerable to this abuse than others. This would be good to know as a parent so you could better watch out for your kids. If we recognize that Sandusky has an illness, then we are more likely to try to understand the illness and maybe can learn some valuable things in the process. However if we just see him as some criminal who randomly was seeking satisfying some closeted sexual urges by abusing children, we tend to write it off as some bizarre human anomaly and maybe don't learn from it in ways that could potentially prevent repeat occurrences by others.

That said, I don't think this has a lot to do with guilt or innocence. It doesn't justify any behavior but only helps explain it. Now maybe it can have some bearing on the appropriate punishment. Part of the issues we have with our justice system is that we deal out punishment instead of dealing out treatment. Many people who commit crimes "have issues". If we don't address the issues, throwing them in a cell just delays the next time they act out on their issues when they return to society. It also means that they will continue to act out on their issues in the prison society. That suggests that all we do then is make breeding grounds for people with issues. Putting people in prison doesn't really fix anything, all it does is separate those individuals from normal society for a while. But at the same time it may also take someone with relatively minor issues and short sentences and expose them to behaviors that very likely could create new problematic issues in these people. So a couple years later when they are released back into society, they come out with the same issues they had and a list of new ones to boot. A prison sentence isn't treatment for a problem. It may be an effective deterrent for a select few, but for many more it is potentially a way to worsen someone's problems.

I don't have an answer and I don't believe that punishment isn't sometimes warranted for offenses against society, but punishment is just one small part of how we should be dealing with it.

This case is something that a lot of us really don't even want to hear about and some would be happy to find some way to seek vengeance for the acts Sandusky apparently committed. But if we are to get something good out of this, we need to take a bigger view and seek to learn lessons from it. Punishment and vengeance may seem appropriate and at least to some extent I think that's the case, but we need to go further and get something out of this that just maybe somehow improves society. We use our justice system to just push problems aside and hide them under the rug, when instead we should be using it to improve things. Sure, we can say that things improve when we put someone like Sandusky into confinement and we keep him from doing this to other kids. I suppose a few would be victims benefit, but that is really a small victory when maybe we could be looking at ways to expand on the benefits we get out of this.

This would be a big change to how we do things. We would have to redefine what "justice" is and what the purpose of the system is. For the vast majority of us, we simply couldn't envision ourselves behaving like Sandusky and to us, the idea of punishment seems to make the most sense. But if we realize that we don't have the illness Sandusky has, we might realize that we are at least somewhat blessed in that regard and we are looking at it from a totally different perspective than he does. If we see his problem as being associated with an illness, it allows us to take a broader look at it and maybe help understand why these things happen. Right now there may very well be dozens or maybe hundreds of would be Sanduskys who just haven't acted yet. If we can intervene in those cases, maybe we prevent some similar occurrences.

But it's not fair to say he's more of a pervert because he has a mental disorder.

Of course - everyone knows that it's only a perversion... if you're totally sane. :|

wait hold up- the problem isnt the letters or geing gay or not it his action, you know the rapes so the only question left is did or did he not engage ins sexual congress with children?

You're damn right he has a psychological disorder and it is the determination of the court he be locked up until he dies. Next case to be heard please. Wouldn't that be nice and easy.

@Madge,

The Shepard guy who was the first FBI profiler (and the one who profiled the Atlanta child killer and was fired because he said it had to be a black man) had a lot to say about serial criminals and especially those with "mental problems." His observation was that no matter how screwed up the person was, the same scenario kept presenting itself. Just as they were about to pick up their next victim, a police car would cruise by. The killer/rapist would immediately drop that plan and move on. To Shepard this was solid proof that there is no psychiatric disorder that leaves a person functional enough to stay hidden, but is still so strong that it can't be simply dropped at a moment's notice.

you darn liberals so interested in shutting up the truth and censorship, yeah you believe in all things and tolerance until it affects your opinions...what are you all crazy, ? (oh yeah you are , you have a scientific explanation for any fetish or "obscure" or un natural act) you humanists will destroy America and usher in tyranny. keep voting in the Hitlers , liars in front of our eyes...

then they cry "spam" the truth hurts your disorders are your rights but stop trying to make it the ordinary when you get these people crossing the line then you will see why the conservatives needed to define a few things. Later when the real "whack jobs" come out and its all legal..

He most assuredly has a psychiatric disorder ..... he's crazy about young boys.

Barabas...what are you talking about?

Yes you 100% right, and I totaly agrees with your post the cry of the people is the voice of God. The young male back are his honey dips. But his payments for those distroyed kids will be bitter Gum of Aloes.

Bar...I believe you have defined a few things in your posts, but not what you think. Wow.

One case into the other into the other and so on... Isn't there another case regarding sexual abuse of children/boys and the moving of the perps around to other churches/parishes, in court or going to court or waiting on a ruling/sentencing in the court system in Philly at this time (or something like that) if I am not mistaken?

Could this judge's ruling allowing the defense in other cases of sexual abuse of children to argue that the defendant had a psychiatric disorder-- which supposedly made or caused the defendant/accused to be unable to stop himself due to or because of his supposedly drama creating, attention seeking psych behaviour etc, rather than/as opposed to the defendant calmly, calculatingly plotting and planning the sexual abuse of the kids, 'grooming' them for 'later sexual activity' by supposedly making them even more vulnerable and emotionally fragile, which in turn make them more pliable and eager to please their emotion/psychi manipulator, -- open the door in other cases of this nature (eg as it pertains to the sexual abuse of children by priests etc) to use this sort of psychiatric disorder defense as a tatic?

Once the door is opened, done/approved in one court etc then the slippery slope and all that.... Hmmm

Peace....

Madge...You are right on target. There are thousands of people that are walking around with one personality disorder or another. It doesn't mean they are crazy by any legal definition. He knew what he was doing and he knew it was wrong--that is the legal definition. Anxiety and depression are both personality disorders, but the vast majority of people that have them do not molest little boys. Histrionic my butt!!!! He is a sociopath and has a sexual preference for young boys because he loves the power and feelings of control that it gives him. Sorry, but that turd just won't flush.

Chris, I think you are talking about John Douglas who wrote the book "The Anatomy of Motive". He has made it clear from his extensive experience that pedophilia is about domination, power, and control...It starts with fantasy and ends in acting out the fantasies. Samenow in his book "Inside the Criminal Mind" is a psychologist that has studied criminal behavior. He believes that criminal behavior results from "thinking errors". The tell themselves that they deserve what they want and that no one is getting harmed, or, if they are, they deserve it. Neither expert would tell you that Sandusky could not control his behavior--at least, that would be my guess. A personality disorder isn't a get out of jail free ticket. He has a responsibilty to control behavior that harms other people--no matter how histrionic he is. What a load of cr@p.

Very true Mercury. No person with a "normal" brain would make the decisions he may have made, would they? There has to be something wrong mentally, period, to do what he allegedly did.

So does that give him "permission" to abuse young boys ? Most pedophiles do it for power not so much for sex, thats why so many of them are heterosexual and not bisexual or homosexual...Even if he has some "sickness" he sure as hell knows right from wrong !! No excuse for this sicko !!

Are you implying heterosexual men alone use sex as power, as if women don't? And what about NAMBLA? They even used to march in gay rights parades.

Actually a colleague of mine interviewed a number of sexual predators and found out that their motive unfailingly was sexual gratification and not power over the victim. The power over the victim view appears to be political, rather than factual, in origin. She had a lot of trouble getting her well documented work published because unsubstantiated beliefs and politics of the time have a lot to do with what knowledge advances and what is suppressed.

The feeling of power is what gives the sexual gratification. That is the point. It isn't political. It is misunderstood. The power is the fetish..the turn-on. That isn't political.

Absolutely ! THE OVERSIZE HAMSTER... days are slowly coming sure. God don't like wickedness nor ugliness, and money is the root of all evil. Had he hand to mouth he would go to the catholic priest.

old lawyer...You are partly correct. To say that it isn't about sex, is to say that eating isn't about hunger. However, these are people that generally have difficulty having satisfactory sexual relationships with adults. Adults are complicated and children are easy to manipulate and control. It is about sexual satisfaction, but what gives them that satisfaction is the power, domination, and control over the victim. If they are a sadistic rapist, for example, it is the screams and terror that get them excited. It isn't an either/or situation. It is a complicated and warped set of desires that are present in the pedophile. Most pedophiles are not violent because they don't have to be--they take great pleasure in grooming their victims--sometimes for years. Take a troubled youth and that just makes their goals easier to achieve. This isn't about politics. It is about harming children--for life.

Well this judge is just as I said he was a few days ago: A pawn in the game of keep Penn State well. This 'ploy' had better not work with the jury.

If these citizens find this monster not guilty or in any other parlance free him, I feel sorry for their future lives.

I also would recommend this monster leave the country because there are lots of folks who feel the judges and the court system in general favors fools such as this monster and are damn tired of seeing blatant disrespect for the rights of the citizens.

Although I read a story which said a man was set free in a double murder trial because he had Type 2 diabetes. That must have been a terrific closing statement by the attorney for the defense.

Anyway, I have predicted that this monster will walk and that is due to political fears by the Governor and the current Attorney General and the many acolytes from Penn State who serve on the jury and those 'civilians' who are wage earners directly or indirectly associated with Penn State.

Move along folks the only thing to see here is more unbridled corruption.

What a damn shame. Those boys deserve to not be ‘stiffed’ in any way shape or form…. again !

DL. I have nothing but distain for his actions. But let's be realistic. Do you honestly think someone with a "normal" brain would make the decisions he allegedly did. There has to be something mentally wrong upstairs. It wouldn't be surprising to me at all if he had some sort of similar, trauma as a child. But again, there has to be something wrong in his brain, just as was the case with someone like Manson. Do you seriously think he had a "normal" brain and there was nothing wrong with it? That he too decided, with a "normal" brain, to do what he did? No way.

Well "normal" can be aurgued for any type of crime that people commit. Why would a normal person sell crack, or beat animals, or drive under the influence.....no sir nothing wrong with this guy he just didn't think he would get caught because he "groomed" these young boys to be his play toys. Boys that were too young to truly understand his true and evil motives. He didn't try any of that crap with his college players cause they would have beat the living crap out of him. Castrate the perv and throw him in an well.

You know what ONWIS4 you have made nothing but ridiculous statements about how this sick waste of flesh has an abnormal brain. Your defending him makes you sound like a pedophile. This loser is grasping at every attempt he can to get himself out of prison or less time. He knew exactly what he was doing and knows he's guilty for it. QUIT DEFENDING HIM!!!!!!! Just imagine it was your children that this happened to. Would you be so quick to defend him or be so calm about it?

whether or not he does have a histrionic personality onwise is really beside the point. being histrionic does not imply an inability to function or to know and comprehend broad differences between right and wrong. Sandusky knew that what he was doing was wrong, and he went to a lot of trouble and effort to hide his activities for just precisely that reason. at worst, a histrionic disorder is going to make a person an annoying pain in the ass to the people around him, and likely he will not cope well with the adversities of life. it is not, in and of itself, going to make him a pedophile

onwis4,

I think their brain is fine. I think that things happen to them in life, they make various choices and at some point, they have the choice to act on their feelings or not. Lots of people have murderous feelings of rage but they don't act on them. And yes, others have a terrible problem with impulse control and also act out. They can suffer trauma as a child and choose not to repeat that behavior themselves. I've really wondered about all this and if it was something in their brains, when people do such horrendous things as Manson did. Do you think it's a medical problem? I'm willing to consider this because I have not been able to come up with a reason for people doing what they do. Recently a man here in town killed his roommate, cut him into pieces and put him in his freezer. Why? I guess I've spent a lot of time lately wondering about this, mostly because we've had fathers killing themselves and their whole family and many other horrendous things. People here suggest it might be the economy--they've had many ideas but no one seems to figure it out. I appreciate your post and I'm going to think about this.

Masters...You are right on target. His brain is no different than thousands of other people that have personality disorders. He just had the power to get away with it for a long, long time. He is narcissitic to the max. He has convinced himself that he was "loving" these boys and that all that he did for them made him deserve the pleasure he demanded in return. I have heard a pedophile actually tell me that the girl he molested was flirting with him and "wanted it." The girl he was referring to was five years old. True story.

Allie22...Very well said.

Masters...Don't feel alone in your thinking. Scholars and scientists have been trying to determine why people commit crimes for centuries. There are as many theories out there as there are criminals. Nature vs Nurture, Durkheims Theory of Anomie, Phrenology, Psychology, Environment, Genetics, XY chromosomes...You name it. I have come to believe that it is a mixed bag rather than any one thing that makes some people psychopaths and others are born with a conscience. Until we can explain why some people that are born and raised in similar circumstances--such as a sibling eg--that do not grow up to become psychopaths, only then will we be able to answer the question of why some do. Many people have horrid childhood experiences and are responsible, productive, and caring members of society. Why?

You can argue causes til the cows come home, but If it were my son or grandson he molested, do you think I would give a flying @!$%# what caused him to do it?
I'd arrange it so he would never be able to molest anyone ever again.

Tina...And then you would never have access to your son or grandson again. Do you think that vigilante justice is the answer here? There are a lot of people that just want to know "Why?" . That isn't such a bad question to ask if you are wanting to prevent future crimes....So far no one has been able to answer that question adequately to explain why some people do not commit crimes--though they were born and raised in similar circumstances. It baffles criminologist all over the world. Your children and grandchildren need you. You are a strong person and very protective. I am sure you have instilled that in your kids--Pedophles don't like to prey on kids like yours--Too much work and too risky.

Colorblind you are so right! my stepmonster told my mother I asked him to marry me - I WAS 10! - what the hell! I guess that would justify molesting a 10 year old while your wife just delivered your first child in the hospital????? when all was said and done, she turned it on me! then I was told "he had a terrible childhood and was molested himself"! so that gave him the right to molest me????? I didn't molest anyone after it was done to me! I don't believe that because someone took away your childhood that you have the right to inflict that on someone else! a child has no defense! I know I didn't!

I don't know. There are a lot of people who are proud to be connected to Penn State who are angry about the black mark that now marks the school's history. If they think Sandusky did it at the end of the trial, these people are going to want to be sure he is found guilty for the damage he's done to the school's reputation. But as you say, if they find that Sandusky didn't do it after all the testimonies they have heard, they will find him not guilty. It really depends on what the defense presents now.

williered: As a PSU grad, I think there could actually be a tendency for the jury to be more harsh and demanding than lenient. Many of my fellow alums want to see this guy punished (on the assumption that he is guilty as charged, and I think he is) to the maximum extent allowable by law...as well as others who were "accomplices" or "accessories after the fact". There is no more reason to try to defend the honor of the University administration and the board of trustees...a lenient verdict or sentence would only serve to increase the perception of corruption in the university and the state.

As somebody stated earlier, the guy probably does have a mental/psychological/personality disorder, which may explain why he did what the did, but it neither justifies nor exonerates him from the consequences of what he did.

They're not saying the mental disorder caused the molestation/rape. They're saying the letters, which they can't deny, were not 'grooming' because of the disorder and that he sent the letters but did not abuse the boys. BTW, American juries don't tend to accept that a mental disorder caused the actions, largely because of the mens rea - if he didn't molest in front of others and tried to hide - and deny his actions, including the letters, he knew that hee was doing was wrong and could have stopped. Where American juries have a hard time is accepting that former abuse is NOT an excuse; in fact, I think that former abuse should make someone MORE aware of their actions. Besides, Sandusky's defense is still denying the abuse; they're just trying to justify the letters. If he was abused, it won't become an issue until sentencing, at which point 'poor Sandusky' just might become a victim himself, although that would be admitting guilt, so they might not use it.

EMTWife,

I think the reason you "choose not to practice law" is because you don't believe in yourself or the justice system. Most cases with an insanity defense are lost..so what makes YOU, so disillusioned, it seems the outcome is solely in favor of the prosecution? For someone who claims to be a lawyer it's almost comical you'd say, "Lawyers who can defend this, or use "psychiatric disorders" like this to try to get pedophiles off in the name of "our system of justice" or that "everyone deserves a trial by their peers" are what give lawyers a bad name." If you really think this is why lawyers get a bad name then surely you are doing the world a favor by not practicing, you are not qualified to be a lawyer!

@GROC:

You're absolutely correct...she could never be a lawyer, she has 'scruples'....no lawyer can have that.

GROC...People do what they do for a lot of reasons. To offer such insults to an, obviously, very intelligent and knowledgable person for making a personal choice is offensive. She has a right to her opinion and the right to determine her profession for reasons that are hers alone. She is right. Regardless of the legal obligation to provide the accused a vigorous defense, some people can see that this is often taken too far. And example might be Ms. Anthony. If he is guilty and his attorney knows he is guilty, he should have plead him out early in the case. Get the best offer he can get and move on rather than offering ridiculous defenses like histrionics. He is a pain in the butt, but I seriously doubt he is histrionic--He would have blown up by know and started crying and weeping at the trial. What gives you the right to tell someone that they "don't believe in yourself?" That pretty harsh....Besides, they are not offering an insanity defense. He is clearly not insane by any legal definition of the term.

Well this judge is just as I said he was a few days ago: A pawn in the game of keep Penn State well. This 'ploy' had better not work with the jury.

If these citizens find this monster not guilty or in any other parlance free him, I feel sorry for their future lives.

I also would recommend this monster leave the country because there are lots of folks who feel the judges and the court system in general favors fools such as this monster and are damn tired of seeing blatant disrespect for the rights of the citizens.

Although I read a story which said a man was set free in a double murder trial because he had Type 2 diabetes. That must have been a terrific closing statement by the attorney for the defense.

Anyway, I have predicted that this monster will walk and that is due to political fears by the Governor and the current Attorney General and the many acolytes from Penn State who serve on the jury and those 'civilians' who are wage earners directly or indirectly associated with Penn State.

Move along folks the only thing to see here is more unbridled corruption.

What a damn shame. Those boys deserve to not be ‘stiffed’ in any way shape or form…. again !

Josh...Calm down, take a deep breath, and just see what happens before you start predicting the end of the world. If I were on the jury, I would see this histrionic cr@p for what it is and consider it an irrelevant side note that has nothing to do with the crimes he committed. Maybe, there are others like me on the jury....You never know. Sometimes justice actually happens....Not always, but sometimes...maybe, even, most of the time.

Jack...Have you ever considered that they may be doing just that? They know who he is and they know that they must launch a vigorous defense. Judging by the comments here....They are missing their target---Or are they? They have to provide a defense that will hold up against "inadequate counsel" on appeal. So....Is it possible that they are intentionally inflaming the jury with this histrionic nonscense for a reason? Just a thought....I see a lot of wheels spinning and the defense doesn't seem to be getting anywhere. By introducing this histrionic defense, they have left themselves open to having the prosecution being allowed to have their own experts to examine and testify....I wouldn't have done that, would you?

Robin....Maybe, they are stupid like a fox....They have children too, you know. Do you really think they want this guy back on the streets? Don't give up hope yet. They have a job to do and they are walking a very fine line between inadequate counsel and a vigorous defense. They don't want the former because of an appeal. They want the later so that there is no overturn on appeal. Sort of between a rock and a hard place....but they have to play the cards they are given.

Good point. That is established that it is common and I think it should have been explained. If he has this disorder it doesn't change the fact that the guy was seen doing it, was discussed in emails about the topic for years, and that his own statements aren't exactly helpful to him, either.

Sound proof or not his wife lived there, she knew his habit's. She could not stop him physically, she could of set him up with the Law. because she is a mother and know his appetites and tastes his pains. Seeing those innocent kids around she should be as wary and more protective as a mother tiger for her cubs. She knew the setup of that dungeon and what purpose it serve.

Cynthia: Mother's are some of the worst child abusers, and often deliberately allow or set-up abuse to happen for sadistic voyeurism. As with Dottie Sandusky they are much less likely to be criminally charged. They should be, just as the get-away-driver is charged for the same crime as the bank robber.

They have to have evidence to charge someone with obstruction of justice or conspiracy to commit child abuse. I agree, but, where is the probable cause to arrest his wife? Do I think she knew....Yup, is sure do. Can I prove it...Nope, I sure can't. So she walks....but she will walk alone on a very lonely road. Social censure and street justice can be brutal....Especially, when you have lived on a pedestal for all those years.

Considering Sandusky is being labeled as a pedophile, that doesn't include anyone above the age of 18. His lawyer on the other hand may be the one giving something to someone for these late claims on a psychological disorder.

That is a psychiatric disorder. This other disorder they have come up with though doesn't fit. There would have already been reports of medications, psychological treatment and reports of work disruptions if he does indeed suffer from histrionic disorder.

Serial killers also have psychiatric disorders, often resulting from abuse, neglect, etc., but we still execute them. I don't see why he should go scot free just because he has some disorder. He obviously is intelligent, as he worked so many years at Penn State, but to me, that means he knew right from wrong.

Jenny, I agree with your first point. All criminals suffer from psychiatric disorders, likely the result of childhood traumas. However Sandusky is dumb as a box-of-rocks. He didn't even know the meaning of the word "culpable" in his interview with Bob Costas.

After watching football for many years, I don't think I know any coach that doesn't have some histrionic disorder in their blood.

So you condone "Big Bubba" as long as he's in prison?

Jim...I am not convinced that the defense team is trying to get him off. If they are, they are making some unusual calls. I am convinced that they are doing all they can to provide the appearance of a vigorous defense as they are legally obigated to do....But, they are also p!ssing off the jury....And opening up their client to be examined by the prosecution. Wouldn't think I would want my narcissistic pedophile client examined by anybody....That is, if I were trying to get him off. Just one person's opinion....

That's because the two cases have very little in common.

Oh God, not even close. But nice try.

Probably because it was later proven to be false alligations.

"Probably because it was later proven to be false alligations" - Why was it proven false? Didn't they have the testimony of children? They did. Ages as young as 8 (maybe younger) up to 15 testified they were abused. Yet, it was later proven to be false. Does that mean they lied? In court????

"Oh God, not even close. But nice try." How is it not even close? A man was accused of sexual abuse of children. The allegations grew to include others. The case went on for years. Sounds pretty close.

The sad thing is that we have a system of justice that used to say you were innocent until proven guilty. We now have trial by media - very much like the McMartin Preschool case - and everyone relies on the media for their truth.

Jacob: Most likely they were all younger than eight. How many 15 year olds do you know in preschool? In this case the boys spoke up on their own, in the McMartin case they were coached by therapists, with possible connections to the prosecution. The boys in Sandusky's case have very similar stories, while in the McMartin case they were wildly different. And whose to say the first allegations in the McMartin case weren't true.

There are also adult witnesses in this case. Not so in the McMartin case. Even the d@mn janitors knew it was happening and were afraid they would lose their jobs if they reported it. Read the Grand Jury Indictment if you doubt my words.

RevSpin - Did you actually read about the McMartin case from something other than a newspaper article? "Most likely they were all younger than eight." Yes the children were mostly over 8 that testified. The case went on for several years. They didn't just get current students to testify. They got former students who claimed they were abused as preschoolers and had been too ashamed to talk about it. Once the newspaper started following it more victims came forward. In the McMartin case many of the stories were about being alone with the one man teacher and his abuse.

Here's another story for you. Female teacher accused of molesting her daughter and 2 friends during a sleep over at her house. The daughter described how she was abused as did the other two girls. They had the exact same story about what happened to them. Pretty sensational story that made big news. It was in national news a little bit. Guess what? The girls were lying.

Actually, I'm thinking that's what will happen. This twisted pedophile has been doing this to boys for years. More than likely it's a lot longer than they're talking about, with a lot more boys than have come forward now. He's been doing it with absolutely no consequences for the whole time, and let's face it, he's no spring chicken. The stress of this has got to be taking a toll on him.

When he gets convicted, and I believe he will, he will be looking at hard time, and the judge better not let him walk free until sentencing. Facing all of this, and the reality forced upon him by a jury of his peers that he is a criminal, instead of the much adored coach of a popular football team. When that reality finally hits home, that he's just another disgusting criminal pervert who needs to be kept from society, and he is introduced to prison life where his kind are much despised, I think his old heart is going to start giving him fits and he may indeed suffer a heart attack.

I, for one, will not feel bad if it does.

A Histrionic Disorder is not a defense for this man. He is a Pedophile pure and simple. He craves sexual contact with boys. The only cure for this man is separation from children and constant supervision. He abused his position of power to violate the trust between an adult and a child.

I dont doubt he will put the gun upside his sick perverted head and pull the trigger, at least i hope not, only to see his stupid geezered face walking inside bubbas house of hellish torture!!!

If he suffers from HPD (and that is a personality disorder, not a mental illness) it would manifest itself noticeably in other aspects of and relationships in his life and not just in wildly inappropriate letters and criminal behavior with young children - that is pedophilia. Both disorders can be present but HPD is not an excuse for pedophilia. The next thing that we are going to get an earful of is how he is HPD because his parents never paid attention to him but the old pedophile across the street did. HPD does not result in specifically inappropriate behavior with children - it affects all relationships most often with peers.