Jerry Sandusky, convicted on 45 counts of child molestation and abuse during his reign as assistant football coach at Penn State University, has been given a court date for his sentencing on October 9.
In addition to receiving his prison term, Pennsylvania judge John Cleland will also decide whether Sandusky should be categorized as a violent sexual predator, a request made by state prosecutor. If the 68 year old receives the following classification, he will get a lifetime sentence in prison.
Sandusky defense lawyer Joe Amendola said that he will file for an appeal as soon as a sentence is out. Sandusky and his legal team still maintain his innocence and claim that he was wrongfully convicted.
Recently, Amendola told the Washington Post that his client is likely to be sentenced to life in prison. "Either he gets a new trial or he's in (prison) for the rest of his life," Amendola told USA Today.
In May, a jury of seven women and five men found the 68 year-old guilty of 45 out of the 48 counts against him for sexual abuse of ten young boys over a span of 15 years. Sandusky, 68, is currently in Centre County prison awaiting his sentencing, which is scheduled to be held in the coming weeks. He could face a sentence of 400 years with no parole.
In the light of the Sandusky cover-up scandal, Washington Post reported that PSU has not been fulfilling their end of the bargain in coming to an out-of-court settlement with the students who were abused by Sandusky. Initially, in order to avoid a serious of civil lawsuits against the university, officials expressed readiness to reach a settlement with victims, however now Tom Kline, an attorney of one of the victims tells the newspaper,
"I believe there has been a window of opportunity, which is closing, despite enormous patience by the lawyers who represent the victims."
In July, the NCAA announced that Penn State University would be charged a $60 million fine for its role in the cover-up of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. The decision comes after the agency reviewed the Freeh report, an FBI investigation report that revealed top university officials including the head football coach, Joe Paterno and Athletic Director Tim Curly involved in obscuring former PSU assistant football coach Sandusky in various child sex-abuse allegations.
In addition to the huge fine, the NCAA is taking away all Paterno wins since 1998 and slapping the university with a four year post football season ban. In addition, the NCAA grants any current player at PSU to transfer immediately and become eligible to play anywhere else.
The 267 page report was formed over seven months of investigation, more than 400 interviews, and a review of over 3.5 million documents by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
According to a report by Reuters Penn State University incurred a cost of nearly $17 million in legal fees and other related expenses in the infamous child-sex abuse case.
According to the report, the university spent around $10 million in internal investigation and crisis communications, $4 million in university legal services and defense and approximately $1.2 million in miscellaneous expenses. In addition to these expenses, the university has to pay $60 million in fines placed on it by the National Colligate Athletic Association.
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