STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A new report commissioned by Joe Paterno's family challenges the conclusion by former FBI director Louis Freeh that the late Penn State coach conspired to conceal child sex abuse allegations against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.

An executive summary of the critique released Sunday said the "observations" of Paterno by Freeh in July were unfounded. The team reviewing Freeh's work included former U.S. Attorney General and Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, who called the report fundamentally flawed and incomplete, resulting in a "rush to injustice."

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The family released was what billed as an exhaustive response on Paterno.com.

It called Freeh's report a disservice to Paterno, the university community and Sandusky's victims.

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Freeh's findings were cited by the NCAA when college sports' governing body levied unprecedented sanctions against the football program for the Sandusky scandal.

 

Jerry Sandusky lost a bid for a new trial Wednesday when a judge rejected his argument that his lawyers were not given enough time to prepare for the three-week proceeding that ended with a 45-count guilty verdict.

Judge John Cleland's 27-page order said lawyers for the former Penn State assistant football coach conceded that their post-trial review turned up no material that would have changed their trial strategy.

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"I do not think it can be said that either of the defendant's trial counsel failed to test the prosecution's case in a meaningful manner," Cleland wrote. "The defendant's attorneys subjected the commonwealth's witnesses to meaningful and effective cross-examination, presented evidence for the defense and presented both a comprehensive opening statement and a clearly developed closing argument."

He also rejected post-sentencing motions regarding jury instructions, hearsay testimony and a comment by the prosecution during closing arguments that referred to the fact that Sandusky, who did not testify at trial, gave media interviews after he was arrested in November 2011.

Cleland said the prosecution's closing was not presented in a way that "was either calculated to, or did, create in the jurors a fixed bias toward the defendant."

Sandusky also argued that charges should have been thrown out because they were not sufficiently specific, but Cleland said the lack of specific dates did not prevent Sandusky from pursuing an alibi defense.

"The defendant has simply argued the offenses did not happen," Cleland said.

Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for sexual abuse of 10 boys, including violent attacks on the children inside Penn State athletics facilities.

Sandusky defense lawyer Norris Gelman said Wednesday that while he had not read the decision, Cleland's ruling means an appeal will be filed to the mid-level Superior Court within the next 30 days.

The state attorney general's office, which prosecuted Sandusky, offered no immediate comment.

Also Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved a bill that aims to keep Penn State's $60 million fine to the NCAA over the Sandusky scandal within the state.

The measure, sponsored by Sen. Jake Corman, a Republican whose district includes State College, would require such fines of at least $10 million to be deposited into a state-administered account, and be spent on Pennsylvania programs that address childhood sexual abuse.

"It makes sense that it should stay here to benefit organizations and the children of the commonwealth," said Corman, who also recently filed a lawsuit over the fine, an action currently pending in Commonwealth Court. He said the money "could do an extraordinary amount of good right here in Pennsylvania."

Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, said the Legislature needed to act quickly.

"The victims were from Pennsylvania, the abuse was perpetrated in Pennsylvania, and the crimes were investigated and prosecuted by Pennsylvania authorities — not authorities from other states, the federal government or the NCAA," Schwank said.

In response, the NCAA issued a statement saying it was monitoring the legislation, "including examining whether, if enacted, the proposed legislation would violate both the United States and Pennsylvania constitutions."

Penn State agreed to the fine last summer as part of a deal that averted a potential shutdown of its football program by college sports' governing body. The university has already made the first of five $12 million payments.

Gov. Tom Corbett has filed a federal anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA over the sanctions.

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Jerry Sandusky gets 30 to 60 years for child sex abuse
Expert: Penn State report ups legal risk for former president
Sandusky case triggers pain well beyond campus

 

BELLEFONTE, Pa. - In what a prosecutor described as a “last desperate move,” attorneys for convicted child abuser Jerry Sandusky argued Thursday that the former Penn State assistant football coach deserves a new trial because they didn’t have time to prepare for the first one.

Sandusky's lead counsel at trial, Joseph Amendola, testified that he was overwhelmed by reams of documents  – more than 12,000 pages between prosecutors files and his investigative efforts – and that the jury was improperly instructed about how long it took victims to report Sandusky’s abuse.

On cross-examination, however, Amendola admitted that a limited amount of evidence was necessary for him to cross-examine victims, and that no documents reviewed since the conviction that may have gone un-reviewed before trial would've helped the defense.

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Sandusky was convicted on June 22, 2012 of 45 counts of child sexual abuse over a 15-year period. He is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence at a state prison.

The scandal and trial captivated the nation and tarnished the image of Penn State’s hallowed football program as well as its coach Joe Paterno, who died of lung cancer last January.

Sandusky has maintained his innocence since the allegations first surfaced.

Smile on his face
Sandusky, noticeably thinner and now nearly entirely white haired, made his first court appearance since his sentencing. Wearing a dark red Centre County prison jumpsuit he came bounding into the courtroom with a large smile on his face. He moved quickly towards his family and friends, exclaiming "Hi there!"

Sheriff’s deputies had to direct Sandusky to stop and to sit at the defense table. Sandusky waved frequently towards his wife Dottie during the hearing.

Sandusky was not called to the stand, but did appear to actively participate, being quick to pass exhibits to Norris Gelman, a Philadelphia lawyer now taking the lead in the appeals process.

In addition to Dottie Sandusky, their son Jeff, and about 10 Sandusky supporters were in the courtroom.

Also seen in the courtroom was the biological mother of Matt Sandusky, who surprising told police while his father’s trial was under way that he too had been abused by Sandusky.

Debra McCord told NBC News that Matt Sandusky is "getting stronger as time goes by."

Amendola's testimony opened the hearing which lasted just shy of two hours. He described the process in which he filed 50 motions, noting that "starting with January 28th, 1,114 pages of discovery material" were received.

More than 9,000 pages of documents were presented to Amendola and his team, he said. In addition, the Sandusky investigators generated another 3,000 pages of material. Noting that "we had to copy out of one machine in our office", Amendola said that "we didn't have the time to review much of that material."

Lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan asked Amendola if he would “agree that most material was irrelevant," meaning material he requested and subpoenaed? Amendola responded "it turned out to be," adding "some material we found to be [relevant], but was inadmissible."

Gelman also argued that some of the judge's instructions to the jury could have been misleading, specifically that he said it should not matter when victims brought forward their charges.

Costas interview
An interview that NBC’s Bob Costas conducted on "Rock Center" with Sandusky before the trial also came up. The lead prosecutor, defense attorneys said, made it sound like Jerry Sandusky could speak to Costas but wouldn't testify in front of the jurors.

Outside court Gelman described Sandusky's prison life saying "he's in great spirits."

Sandusky has a TV in prison, two phone calls per month, and one personal visit.

On the chances of appeal, Gelman said, "We're in the race, I wouldn't count us out."

But outside the courtroom McGettigan called the appeal "a last desperate move" by Sandusky to overturn his conviction.

Judge John Cleland did decide anything on Thursday, but is expected to rule on the appeal within the next 30 days. If Sandusky does not get a new trial he can then appeal to Superior Court, and has indicated he will.

The state of Pennsylvania took the field on behalf of battered Penn State on Wednesday, with Gov. Tom Corbett announcing a lawsuit against the NCAA over sanctions imposed on the university in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

"This was a criminal matter, not a violation of NCAA rules,” Corbett said at a press conference Wednesday to announce the lawsuit would be filed in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg, Pa., later in the day. "The NCAA didn't have any business in imposing these sanctions."

The university agreed in July to the sanctions, which included a $60 million fine that would be used nationally to finance child abuse prevention grants. The sanctions also included a four-year bowl game ban for the university's marquee football program, reduced football scholarships and the forfeiture of 112 wins but didn't include a suspension of the football program, the so-called death penalty.

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"Penn State does have a moral responsibility to the victims and to the community, and it has accepted that responsibility and is working with the victims in the civil courts," Corbett said, standing in front of a group of business owners on Penn State's campus in College Park. "Penn State should continue to work with the victims of sexual abuse and an effort towards prevention, so we can assure that tragedies like this never happen again. With that said, though, the NCAA shouldn't have sanctioned Penn State. I believe and our suit contends that the NCAA has no authority and operated outside of their own bylaws with these sanctions they brought."

State and congressional lawmakers from Pennsylvania have objected to using the Penn State fine to finance activities in other states. Penn State has already made the first $12 million payment, and an NCAA task force is deciding how it should be spent.

In a statement issued after Corbett's announcement, Donald M. Remy, NCAA executive vice president and general counsel, said the governor was belatedly interceding in a matter that was well on its way to being resolved.

"We are disappointed by the governor's action today," Remy said. "Not only does this forthcoming lawsuit appear to be without merit, it is an affront to all of the victims in this tragedy -- lives that were destroyed by the criminal actions of Jerry Sandusky. While the innocence that was stolen can never be restored, Penn State has accepted the consequences for its role and the role of its employees and is moving forward. Today's announcement by the governor is a setback to the university's efforts."

Penn State also issued a statement saying that it "is not a party to the lawsuit and has not been involved in its preparation or filing."

The NCAA has previously indicated that at least a quarter of the $60 million would be spent in Pennsylvania, but that continues to be a sore point with some Pennsylvania lawmakers.

Republican Rep. Charlie Dent called the NCAA's response "unacceptable and unsatisfactory" to a request from the state's House delegation that the whole $60 million be distributed to causes within the state.

Last week, state Sen. Jake Corman, a Republican whose district includes Penn State's main campus, said he plans to seek court action barring any of the first $12 million from being released to groups outside the state.

In announcing the news conference, Corbett, a Republican, did not indicate whether his office coordinated its legal strategy with state Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, who is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 15.

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Kane, a Democrat, ran on a vow to investigate why it took state prosecutors nearly three years to charge Sandusky, an assistant under legendary football coach Joe Paterno. Corbett was the attorney general when that office took over the case in early 2009 and until he became governor in January 2011. 

Sandusky, 68, was convicted in June on charges he sexually abused 10 boys, some on Penn State's campus. He's serving a 30- to 60-year state prison term.

Eight young men testified against him, describing a range of abuse they said went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys.

Sandusky did not testify at his trial but has maintained his innocence, acknowledging he showered with boys but insisting he never molested them.

NBC News' Tom Winter and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Gov. Tom Corbett said Tuesday he plans to sue the NCAA in federal court over sanctions imposed against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. 

The Republican governor scheduled a news conference for Wednesday on Penn State's campus in State College to announce the filing in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg.

The sanctions, agreed to by the university in July, included a $60 million fine that would be used nationally to finance child abuse prevention grants. State and federal lawmakers have raised objections to the money being spent outside Pennsylvania.

A message seeking comment on the expected lawsuit was left with the NCAA on Tuesday.

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Last month, a Pennsylvania congressman said he was unhappy with how the NCAA responded to a request from the state's U.S. House delegation that the whole $60 million in Penn State fines be distributed to causes within the state.

NCAA president Mark Emmert had said in a Dec. 12 letter that a task force had been charged with allocating at least 25 percent of the fine money to programs in Pennsylvania.

Republican Rep. Charlie Dent said days later in a statement that Emmert's response was "unacceptable and unsatisfactory."

The NCAA said then that it stood by what Emmert said.

The fine was just part of college sports' governing body's sanctions on Penn State for its handling of the abuse scandal involving Sandusky, a former assistant under head football coach Joe Paterno. The landmark sanctions also included a four-year ban from postseason play and significant scholarship cuts for the marquee football program, which avoided being suspended, the so-called death penalty.

Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator, was convicted in June on charges he sexually abused 10 boys, some on campus. The 68-year-old was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in state prison.

Eight young men testified against him, describing a range of abuse they said went from grooming and manipulation to fondling, oral sex and anal rape when they were boys.

Sandusky didn't testify at his trial but has maintained his innocence, acknowledging he showered with boys but insisting he never molested them. 

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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former Penn State President Graham Spanier was arraigned and released on bail at a brief court appearance Wednesday on charges he lied about and concealed the child sex abuse allegations involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Spanier, accompanied by his wife, signed paperwork after his bail was set at $125,000 unsecured and left a Harrisburg district justice's office where two co-defendants were arraigned last week.

After the court appearance, Spanier's attorney, Elizabeth Ainslie, proclaimed Spanier's innocence and called prosecutors' claims he was part of a conspiracy of silence "ridiculous."

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Spanier, 64, was charged last week with perjury, obstruction, endangering the welfare of children, failure to properly report suspected abuse and conspiracy for his actions in response to complaints about Jerry Sandusky showering with children. Spanier denies the allegations and has claimed he is being framed for political purposes.

Earlier: Penn St.'s ex-president charged in Sandusky scandal

He served as Penn State's president for 16 years but was forced out a year ago after Sandusky was charged along with two of Spanier's top underlings. Spanier is on paid leave as a member of the faculty.

Along with the charges against Spanier, prosecutors added counts against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. They were arraigned Thursday. Curley, the athletic director on leave, and Schultz, the school's retired vice president, await trial in January on charges of failure to report suspected abuse and perjury.

The new charges came almost exactly a year after details of the case against Sandusky sent a maelstrom through State College, toppling longtime head coach Joe Paterno and eventually leading to severe NCAA sanctions against the football team.

Sandusky, 68, vigorously contested the charges but was convicted in June of 45 counts of abuse of boys, including violent sexual attacks inside campus facilities. He was sentenced last month to 30 to 60 years in prison.

A grand jury report alleged Spanier testified falsely that he did not know of a 1998 complaint against Sandusky, made by a mother and investigated by university police.

Full coverage of the Sandusky trial

"Spanier was obviously kept in the loop on this matter as Schultz copied him in on emails that discussed the status and conclusion of the investigation," the jury report said.

It also claimed Spanier lied about a 2001 instance of abuse witnessed by a graduate assistant, when he testified that Curley and Schultz described it only as horseplay. Email traffic among the men, jurors wrote, "make clear they are discussing an event that involves the abuse of a child."

Spanier's obstruction charges involve "numerous lies" and hiding "pertinent files and notes," alleged the grand jury report, known as a presentment.

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The report described how he addressed the growing scandal last year with the board of trustees, and how he put out statements supportive of Curley and Schultz after their arrest. The jury report said investigators were immediately able to get important records from the university after Spanier was replaced as president.

"It should be noted that Spanier continues to mislead with numerous public statements that contain demonstrably false statements," the jury claimed.

Spanier's lawyers put out a written statement law week that accused Gov. Tom Corbett, who was attorney general when the investigation began, of orchestrating the charges to divert attention from questions about why it took three years to bring charges against Sandusky. They said there was no factual basis for the Spanier charges.

"Spanier has committed no crime and looks forward to the opportunity to clear his good name and well-earned national reputation for integrity," his defense lawyers wrote. "This presentment is a politically motivated frame-up of an innocent man."

Attorney General Linda Kelly said last week the three administrators had engaged in a "conspiracy of silence" to hide the truth.

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Updated at 2:20 p.m. ET: Pennsylvania state prosecutors, citing what they called "a conspiracy of silence," on Thursday charged Graham Spanier, the former president of Penn State University, with perjury, obstruction of justice and endangering the welfare of children abused by the school's former defensive coordinator, convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky. 

The prosecutors also brought new felony charges against two former top Penn State officials -- Tim Curley, the ex-athletic director, and Gary Schultz, an ex-Penn State vice president who oversaw the campus police. Both men had been previously charged in the case and they, along with Spanier, have publicly insisted on their innocence.

"This case is about three powerful men who held high positions -- three men who used their positions to conceal and cover up for years the activities of a known child predator," state Attorney General Linda Kelly said at a news conference in Harrisburg. "This was not a mistake, an oversight or a misjudgment.

"This was a conspiracy of silence by top officials at Penn State, working to actively conceal the truth, with total disregard to the suffering of children,"  Kelly said.

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“Graham Spanier has commited no crime and looks forward to the opportunity to clear his good name and well earned national reputation for integrity,” Spanier’s lawyers said in a statement. “This presentment is a politically motivated frame-up of an innocent man. And if these charges ever come to trial, we will prove it.”

“To be clear, Tim Curley is innocent of all charges.
We are carefully reviewing the presentment and will reserve a more comprehensive comment for a later time,” Curley’s lawyer said in a statement.

They also blamed the charges against their client on Pennsylvania’s Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, saying that Kelly – whom he appointed – had brought the case against Spanier to divert attention from the fact that when Corbett was attorney general, he had failed to bring criminal charges against Sandusky in 2009  – an issue that Democrats have criticized him for. Kelly on Thursday adamantly denied that politics played any role in the case.

The new charges come nearly one year after Sandusky was arrested and charged with repeatedly abusing young boys dating back to 1998, setting off one of the biggest scandals in the history of college sports. Sandusky, the longtime deputy to the school's late legendary football coach, Joe Paterno, was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse last June and was sentenced last month to 30 to 60 years in state prison.

Full coverage of the Sandusky trial

Spanier, 64, a professional sociologist and family therapist, served for 16 years as president of Penn State, one of the largest public universities in the country, where he was a popular figure on campus and an active booster of the school's football program. He was fired last year, after Sandusky’s arrest, and is now facing eight criminal charges, including five felonies, each of which carry a potential prison term of seven years.

The charges laid out in a new 39-page grand jury presentment are based in part on evidence uncovered in a report last summer by former FBI director Louis Freeh. But the grand jury report also provide new details-- in part culled from previously undisclosed grand jury testimony and documents -- of how Spanier, Schultz and Curley allegedly deceived investigators and hid key information from other university officials, including the chief of the campus police and, in Spanier's case, from the Penn State Board of Trustees.

The grand jury report also provides new details about the trail of an incriminating "Sandusky file" that was kept in a file drawer in Schultz's office -- documenting a 1998 police investigation of Sandusky "with very detailed information" about Sandusky's contact with a young boy in the Penn State shower and a later 2001 allegation about Sandusky abusing another young boy in the Penn State shower.

This and other material was not turned over to prosecutors despite  grand jury subpoenas for all documents relating to the defensive coordinator between 2010 and April 2012. In all, 22 boxes of Sandusky documents, photographs and other materials were not initially turned over in response to the subpoeanas and, as a result, the investigation into Sandusky was "signficantly thwarted and frustrated," the grand jury report states.

According to the new grand jury report, the Sandusky file was removed from Schultz's office by his administrative assistant last year and delivered to his home on Nov. 5, 2011, the same day the then-Penn State vice president was first charged in the case. A previous assistant testified she was given an "unusual request" by Schultz to never "look in" the Sandusky file and that the request was delivered in a "tone of voice" she had never heard him use before.

The new grand jury report states that the emails and other documents show that Spanier, Curley and Schultz at first agreed to report to child welfare authorities a 2001 allegation by former graduate assistant Mike McQueary that he saw Sandusky sexually abusing a young boy in the Penn State shower. One indication of how serious they took it was found in documents showing that Schultz sought legal advice from Penn State's outside lawyer, Wendell Courtney, who billed the school for a "Conference with G Schultz re reporting of suspected child abuse."

But Curley later changed his mind "after talking it over with Joe" -- a reference to the late coach Joe Paterno. (At the news conference, Kelly declined to speculate on whether Paterno would have been charged in the case had he been alive.) They then developed a new plan to encourage Sandusky to seek professional help. "This approach is acceptable to me," Spanier wrote in a Feb. 27, 2001, email to Curley and Schultz.

Spanier added: "The only downside for us if the message isn't 'heard' and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it. But that can be assessed down the road. The approach you outline and a reasonable way to proceed."

According to the new grand jury report, Spanier initially told investigators in March 2011 that he knew nothing about the 1998 police probe of Sandusky (despite emails showing he was briefed on the investigation) and was given only sketchy information about the 2001 allegation, believing that involved only a contention of Sandusky "horse playing around" with a child. And he later made similar comments before a grand jury, including testifying  that there was "no discussion" about reporting the 2001 incident to child welfare or police -- part of the basis for the perjury charge against him.

The report says that Spanier never told the Penn State trustees about either the 1998 or 2001 allegations. When he did brief the board in May 2011 -- after a newspaper story first disclosed the investigation into Sandusky -- Spanier directed the university's chief lawyer, Cynthia Baldwin, to leave the room and then "specifically informed the Board that the investigation had nothing to do with Penn State and that the investigation was regarding a child in Clinton County [Pennsylvania] without affiliation with Penn State," the grand jury report states. 

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PHILADELPHIA -- Convicted child sex abuser Jerry Sandusky perceived himself as David, fighting Goliath as the sex scandal unfolded, sending him to prison for at least 30 years, rewriting the history of one of the greatest college football programs in the country, and prompting the firing of its legendary coach, Joe Paterno.

"I was supposed to be David but failed to pick up the sling shot," Sandusky wrote in a letter to Judge John Cleland of McKean County Common Pleas Court less than two weeks before he was sentenced. "Goliath won, and I must deal with the outcome. Just like preparing for an athletic contest, I am trying to prepare for what comes." 

The letter was released to the public Thursday morning by court officials.

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Sandusky sent the letter to the judge hoping to influence him as he decided how to punish the former Penn State assistant football coach. Sandusky was convicted in June on 45 counts of child sex abuse. His wife, Dottie, also wrote a letter. Both parents put some of the blame for Sandusky's guilty verdicts on their son, Matt. Late in the trial, as the jury was already deliberating, Matt Sandusky made a stunning announcement through his attorney that his father abused him too when he was a boy.

"In my heart I know I did not do these disgusting acts," Sandusky wrote. "However, I didn't tell the jury. Our son changed our plans when he switched sides."

In her letter, Dottie Sandusky attacked Matt's mental state, telling the judge people need to understand what type of person he is.

"We have forgiven him many times for all he has done to our family thinking that he was changing his life, but he would always go back to his stealing and lies," she wrote. "He has been diagnose (sic) with Bipolar, but he refuses to take his medicine."

Dottie Sandusky to judge: 'Jerry is not the monster'

Information came out after Sandusky's conviction that he never testified at trial because his son Matt had threatened to take the stand if Sandusky talked. Sandusky, 68, ended up defending himself, defiantly, a total of three times before he was sentenced. First, in an 11th-hour type of move, a Penn State radio station played a three-minute statement he recorded from jail earlier that day. The tone and themes of that statement lasted for 18 minutes the next morning, as Sandusky rambled on in court, blaming a web of conspirators for his downfall. That was right before the judge admonished him and then sentenced him to a minimum of 30 years, but no more than 60 years, in prison.

"You abused the trust of those who trusted you. . .so the crime isn't just what you did to their bodies, but to their psyche; their soul," Cleland said in court.

Here is the entire text of Sandusky's letter to the judge:

September 27, 2012

Hon. John M. Cleland, Senior Judge Specially Presiding

Dear Sir:

I write without expectation or a plea for leniency. However, I write with hope and resolve to keep fighting for a brighter day. This has been quite an experience. As I sat looking at walls, I spent many hours reliving this ordeal. First, I looked at me, my vulnerability, my naivety (some say stupidity), and my trust in people. Soon, my thoughts turned to all the special people who have been hurt. My heart saddened, and my eyes filled. Later, I began to relive the events leading up to the trial and the trial. Having the time to do it was not the problem it had been in preparation. There were so many people involved in the orchestration of this conviction (media, investigators, prosecutors, "the system", Penn State, and the accusers). It was well done. They won! When I thought about how it transpired, I wondered what they had won. I thought of the methods, decisions, and allegations. I relieved the inconsistent and dishonest testimonies. My mind wondered again. What would be the outcome of all the honest testimonies? My mind wondered again. What would be the outcome of all the accusers and their families who were investigated? I knew the answer. All of their issues would surface. They would no longer be these poor, innocent people, as portrayed. I have been blamed for all of their failures and shortcomings, but nobody mentioned the impact of the people who spent much more time with them than I did. Nobody mentioned the impact of abandonment, neglect, abuse, insecurity, and conflicting messages that the biological parents might have had in this. Those who have worked with troubled lives realize a common reaction for those with low self esteem is often to blame others. They have been rewarded for forgetting, fabricating, and exaggerating. Maybe, they will have a better place to live, a new car, access to more highs, but they won't change. Most of their rewards will be very temporary.

When I reflected, I realized much of what transpired was about protection. I was placed in protective custody; "the system" protected "the system", the media, the prosecution, the civil attorneys, and the accusers. Everybody protected themselves. Penn State, with its own system, protected their public image, their decisions, and the allegations. The authorities were protected. Media protected their jobs and ambitions. Prosecutors protected their jobs and egos. "The system" protected the prosecution. As the stakes became higher, people had more to protect. Civil attorneys were protected. The accusers were protected and provided access to potential financial gain, free attorneys, accolades, psychologists, and attention. Current and former police investigators protected their decisions and explanations to avoid criticism. The jury put up a protective shield to avoid criticism from family, friends, and the public.

Ringing through my ears were attorney Amendola's words, "It doesn't make sensei" I asked myself. Is justice more than just a word? Is fairness more than just a dream? My jaw began to tighten. Then I thought of not being able to be with my wife Dottie, not seeing our dog, Bo, not being there for our kids, not seeing our grandchildren mature, not being with friends, not playing games with loved ones and friends, helping others less, laughing less, and crying more. A chill went up my spine, and my eyes filled again.

Eventually, I thought of the words of Thoreau sent to me by a friend, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Instead of walls, I saw great memories: I saw loved ones who will carry the light; I saw family and friends; I saw those who overcame huge obstacles; I saw all the people who thrived with a little of our help and hope; I saw a locker room with people hugging and crying as national champs; I saw all the people who have stood by me; I saw all the inspirational cards and letters I had received; I saw me throwing thousands of kids up in the air and them asking for more; I saw me in hundreds of water battles that nobody wanted to end; I saw black, white, brown, yellow, young, old, gifted, and handicapped all at our home; I saw kids laughing and playing; I saw a big, lovable dog licking their faces; and I saw inmates who smiled at me and offered kindness even when I was confined. My heart began to warm.

I've had some difficulties seeing a purpose. The best immediate one may be some vulnerable children may be helped. Some, who may have been abused, might not be as a result of the publicity. I'm not sure about that. I would relish the opportunity to be a little candle for other inmates, as some have been a light for me. Otherwise, I hope the suffering improves our chances for a better life when the last breath comes.

Searching for strength I read many books. One was about a family's efforts to help abandoned children in Romania. It was familiar to me. Most of them were about life's struggles and people's strength to endure. Systems all over the world demanded control and were willing to destroy lives to maintain it. These books represented the worst of life and the best of life. There was extreme greed, hate, and cruelty, combined with love and forgiveness. It was as dismal as it could be, but there was always a little light. The suffering of millions put my struggle in some perspective, and hopefully, will bring strength and courage throughout the rest of my journey.

The book with the most impact for me was entitled Left to Tell. It was about an amazing woman of tremendous faith who survived the Rwandan Holocaust. Over a million people were killed because they had to pick sides. She talked about what happened. In the words of a pastor, "I've seen these killing sprees before - once the blood lust is in the air, you can trust no one, not even your own children." There was betrayal and murder. Families turned against one another. Best friends became enemies. Those who had been helped at one point in their life sought and killed those who had helped them. In a lesser way I've experienced this. Through the darkness there was light. Loyalty prevailed when the lady's (Imaculee's) brother stood up for her before his execution. He said, "Even if I knew where my beautiful sister was, I wouldn't tell you." I also related to that as my loved ones and true friends have remained loyal to me.

My trust in people, systems, and fairness has diminished. My faith in God who sends light through the darkness has remained. My heart has been broken but still works. In my heart I know I did not do these disgusting acts. However, I didn't tell the jury. Our son changed our plans when he switched sides. I was supposed to be David but failed to pick up the sling shot. Goliath won, and I must deal with the outcome. Just like preparing for an athletic contest, I am trying to prepare for what comes. I have chosen books with this mind. I have given many second chances and will ask for one. The battle will continue for me and those like Imaculee's brother who remained loyal and shared the hurt.

Respectfully submitted,

Jerry Sandusky

Although Sandusky's sentence is tantamount to a life sentence for the 68-year-old, his attorneys say he truly believes he can get the verdict overturned. They are planning to appeal on the grounds that Sandusky's defense team did not have enough time to adequately prepare his case.

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The Common Pleas Court in McKean County, Pa., has released a letter that Dottie Sandusky wrote to Judge John Cleland after her husband, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse and before he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years for those crimes.

Dottie Sandusky attended the sentencing Tuesday for her husband, who was defensive coordinator and for many years the presumed heir-apparent to legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. The case shook the university, resulting in the firing of Paterno and the departure of the president and other officials.

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Here is Dottie Sandusky's letter:

Dear Judge Cleland:

I am Dottie Sandusky, Jerry Sandusky's wife of 46 years in September. It is with a heavy heart I write this to you. I have known Jerry for 47 years and he has always been truthful with me, even if it hurt. He is a very up front man and a man of very high morals.

---

 

Jerry always put others before himself and always wanted to make each person feel special no matter who they were. Like all of us he has his faults, one is he cares so much for people always wanting them to reach their potential. Therefore he pushes them hard. One 42 year old man who was in the Second Mile stopped by the other day and told me how thankful he is to Jerry for pushing him to be the best he could be. He said, "What I learned from Jerry has made me a better husband and father." This is a young man who had many strikes against him.

Read the full sentencing order (.pdf) 

Jerry was a wonderful father to our six children. We thank God each day for bringing them into our life. He treated each one as if they were our biological children. Our house was a fun house with lots of games, picnics, laughs and caring. There were always lots of people around whether it was friends of our kids, Second Mile kids or neighbors.

I never saw him doing anything inappropriate to any child, if I had, as a Mother and Grandmother I would have taken action. Jerry is not the monster everyone is making him out to be.

Many times he would give up much of his free time, which was not many hours when he was a coach, to make a sporting event of one of the kids he was trying to help. Sometimes we would drive two hours to spend time with these kids.

Legal analysis: Sandusky sentencing was logical and reasonable 

One of the accusers called Jerry and said he could not do his school work because his computer broke and Jerry found a used computer that someone was not using and gave it to him. Fact is most of the things he gave to the accusers were used or given to him by people who wanted to help these young men.

I use to believe in our protective system, but now have no faith in the police or legal system. To think that they can lie and get by with the lies. The press has been unbelievable. People who have not met us are writing untruths.

As far as our son Matt goes, people need to know what kind of person he is. We have forgiven him many times for all he has done to our family thinking that he was changing his life, but he would always go back to his stealing and lies. He has been diagnose with Bipolar, but he refuses to take his medicine. He has had many run-ins with the law and stolen money and items from our family. We still love him and want the best for him, but because of his actions we cannot express this to him.

I pray each day that God will give me the strength to do what is right and that I will be able to hold our family together.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Dorothy D. Sandusky

Transcript: Full radio statement from Jerry Sandusky

Related: Audio of Sandusky's statement on Penn State student station

Jerry Sandusky made a surprise statement before his sentencing and also made a statement at the hearing, insisting that "I didn't do these alleged disgusting acts."

Sandusky said he had "hope in my heart for a brighter day, not knowing when that day will come."

"Many moments I have spent looking for a purpose," he said. "Maybe it will help others — some vulnerable children who may have been abused may not be as a result of all the publicity — but I'm not sure about it. I would hope that it would happen." 

This article includes reporting by Karen Araiza of Philadelphia's NBC10 and NBC News staff.

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Several victims of child sexual abuse by Jerry Sandusky are "satisfied" and "happy" to know that the former Penn State assistant football coach will almost certainly die in prison, their attorneys told NBC News on Tuesday.

Sandusky — who was defensive coordinator for Penn State's powerful football team for three decades — was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison Tuesday in Bellefonte, Pa., for abusing 10 boys he met over 15 years through his Second Mile charity for troubled children.

Sandusky, 68, could have faced more than 400 years for his convictions on 45 counts of child sexual abuse, but McKean County Common Pleas Court Judge John Cleland chose to follow state sentencing guidelines. Even with the shorter sentence, Cleland told Sandusky that the sentence means he will remain locked up "for the rest of your life."

---

That's the important thing, said Matt Casey, an attorney for Victims 3, 7 and 10, none of whom NBC News is identifying.

"They have confidence that Judge (John) Cleland took his obligations seriously," Casey said in an interview with NBC 10 of Philadelphia. "Jerry Sandusky is never going to get out of prison."

Casey acknowledged that the sentence was shorter than he had expected, saying, "If you walk through the individual accounts, there may be some sentences that we might take issue with."

Read the full sentencing order (.pdf)

But "the man is going to die in prison," he said. "That he will never be able to do this to anyone else probably was the most important part of this for our clients."

Jeffrey Fritz, the attorney for other victims — including the young man identified in the indictment as Victim 4, who angrily addressed Sandusky in court Tuesday — said the young man was "happy to know that Jerry Sandusky will live the rest of his life in prison."

Legal analysis: Sandusky sentencing was logical and reasonable

Ghosts of Sandusky's dreams haunt empty home where his charity was born

Victim 4 told Sandusky: "You should be ashamed, and those who covered up should be held accountable for your actions. I don't forgive you, and I don't know that I ever will."

Another of Sandusky's victims told the court that the sentencing "will never erase what he did to me — it will never make me whole. I will never erase his naked body against me.

"But he must pay for his crimes, which he has been properly been convicted of," the young man said.

Fritz told NBC News that all of the young men continue to undergo counseling, but he said it was time to stop calling them "victims."

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"What's important to note today is these are victims that are transitioning into survivors, and they're no longer victims," he said. "They are doing what they can to move on with their life as best they can, despite the horror."

Correction: Jeffrey Fritz, an attorney for a victim in the Jerry Sandusky case, said it was time to stop calling the young men “victims.” An earlier version of this report incorrectly attributed the statement.  

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Updated at 4:08 p.m. ET: BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison Tuesday for abusing 10 boys he met over 15 years through his charity for troubled children.

Sandusky — who was defensive coordinator and for many years the presumed heir-apparent to legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno — could have faced as long as 400 years for his convictions on 45 counts of child sexual abuse.

---

But McKean County Common Pleas Court Judge John Cleland, who was brought in to hear the trial after all of Centre County's judges recused themselves, told Sandusky that at age 68, he would be in prison "for the rest of your life."

"The crime is not only what you did to their bodies but to their psyches and their souls and the assault to the well-being of the larger community in which we all live," Cleland said.

Read the full sentencing order (.pdf)

Sandusky's lead attorney, Joe Amendola, told reporters outside court that he would file an appeal within 10 days, saying he hadn't had enough time to prepare an adequate defense.

Legal analysis: Sandusky sentencing was logical and reasonable

Three of Sandusky's victims addressed the court, some of them speaking tearfully to Sandusky. They told of how they had looked up at Sandusky as a mentor, only to have him betray their trust.

"You were the person in my life who was supposed to be a role model, teach honor, respect and accountability, and instead you did terrible things that screwed up my life," said one of the victims, whom NBC News isn't identifying. 

"You had the chance to plead guilty and spare us the testimony," he said. "Rather than take the accountability, you decided to try to attack us as if we had done something wrong."

Another said: "I have tried to think of the words to describe how Jerry Sandusky has impacted my life. There are no words adequate to express the pain and misery he has inflicted in the past, present and future.

"He promised to be my friend and mentor. Then came the ultimate betrayal and deeds. He humiliated me beyond description."

For his part, Sandusky — as he did in a surprise audio statement Monday night on the Penn State student radio station — insisted that "I didn't do these alleged disgusting acts."

Saying he had been advised against speaking at length, Sandusky told Cleland that "as I began to relive everything, I remember my feelings. So many people were hurt, and my eyes filled with tears. It was a horrible time in life to witness, to listen to, be a part of."

Sandusky said he had "hope in my heart for a brighter day, not knowing when that day will come."

"Many moments I have spent looking for a purpose," he said. "Maybe it will help others — some vulnerable children who may have been abused may not be as a result of all the publicity — but I'm not sure about it. I would hope that it would happen. 

"I would cherish the opportunity to be a little candle for others as my life goes on as they have been a huge light to me."

After the hearing, Senior Deputy Attorney General Joseph McGettigan, who prosecuted the case for the state, called Sandusky's comments "banal self-delusion completely untethered from reality."

"It was, in short, ridiculous," he said.

Sandusky alleges massive conspiracy
Wearing a red prison jumpsuit and appearing notably thinner than before he was convicted in June, Sandusky was transported to Centre County Court from jail in a sheriff's patrol car shortly before the hearing. His wife, Dottie, was in attendance.

Sandusky's statement echoed many of the ideas — some of them word for word — that he broached in his surprise statement Monday night, in which he blamed a widespread conspiracy among police, university administrators and the media for his conviction.

After the hearing, Amendola alluded to that theory, alleging that there was "an undercurrent" in some parts of state government to bring down Penn State because of the power Paterno had amassed in 46 years as head football coach. 

"Folks, my understanding is for years opponents had ongoing battles with the state Legislature over funding," Amendola said. "Penn State always held itself over and above" other state institutions, which rankled some officials, he said.

But in sentencing Sandusky on Tuesday, Cleland called that theory "unbelievable." 

Transcript: Full radio statement from Jerry Sandusky

Related: Audio of Sandusky's statement on Penn State student station ComRadio

In a statement, Penn State President Rodney Erickson said: "Our thoughts today, as they have been for the last year, go out to the victims of Jerry Sandusky's abuse. While today's sentence cannot erase what has happened, hopefully it will provide comfort to those affected by these horrible events and help them continue down the road to recovery."

The statement reflected how deeply the scandal rocked Penn State and Centre County.

Paterno, who was a revered figure representing integrity in college football, was fired Nov. 9 amid allegations that he didn't properly report concerns about Sandusky to authorities. He died in January at age 85.

University President Graham Spanier resigned in November. Athletic Director Tim Curley is on administrative leave, and Senior Vice President Gary Schultz retired. Curley and Schultz face separate trials on charges that they lied to a grand jury about what they knew.

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Penn State's storied football program, meanwhile, was fined $60 million by the NCAA and was stripped of all victories back to 1998.

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Following is the full transcript of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's statement Monday, which was recorded from his jail cell in Bellefonte, Pa., and aired on the Penn State student radio station:

I'm responding to the worst loss of my life.

First, I looked at myself. Over and over, I asked why? Why didn't we have a fair opportunity to prepare for trial?

Sandusky, alleging broad conspiracy, insists he's innocent of child sex-abuse charges

Why have so many people suffered as a result of false allegations? What's the purpose? Maybe it will help others. some vulnerable children who could be abused might not be because of all the publicity. That would be nice, but I'm not sure about it. I would cherish the opportunity to become a candle for others, as they have been a light for me.

---

They can take away my life, they can make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a monster, but they can't take away my heart. In my heart, I know I did not do these alleged disgusting acts.

My wife has been my only sex partner, and that was after marriage. Our love continues.

A young man who was dramatic, a veteran accuser and always sought attention, started everything. He was joined by a well-orchestrated effort of the media, investigators, the system, Penn State, psychologists, civil attorneys and other accusers. They won.

I've wondered what they really won: attention, financial gain, prestige — will all be temporary.

Before you blame me, as others have, look at everything and everybody. Look at the preparation for the trial and the trial. Compare it to others. Think about what happened. Why, and who made it happen?

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Evaluate the accusers and their families. Realize they didn't come out of isolation. The accusers were products of many more people and experiences than me. Look at their confidants and their honesty. Think about how easy it was for them to turn on me given the information, attention and potential perks. I never labeled or put down them or their families. I tried and I cared, then asked for the same.

Please realize all came to the Second Mile because of issues. Some of those may remain.

We will continue to fight. We didn't lose the proven facts, evidence, accurate locations and times. Anything can be said. We lost to speculation and stories that were influenced by people who wanted to convict me.

We must fight unfairness and consistency and dishonesty. People need to be portrayed for who they really are.

We've not been complainers. When we couldn't have kids, we adopted. When we didn't have time to prepare for a trial, we still gave it our best. We will fight for another chance.

We have given many second chances, and now we'll ask for one. It will take more than our effort. Justice will have to be more than just a word, fairness more than just a dream. It will take others: somebody apolitical with the courage to listen, to think about the unfairness, to have the guts to stand up and take the road less traveled.

I ask for the strength to handle everything and willingness to surrender only to God, regardless of the outcome.

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