The commonwealth of Pennsylvania might never see a more explosive legal drama than the prosecution of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky that continues to unfold in State College. Some see Joe Paterno as the latest victim in the Sandusky saga, having first lost the head coaching position he held for more than half a century and, more recently, his brief battle with lung cancer. Others point to the many children whom Sandusky allegedly abused/sexually assaulted over an extended period of time and argue the Penn State Board of Trustees had no choice but to fire Paterno. Wherever you fall on that spectrum of feeling or conviction, Paterno’s passing is a great, great loss to his family, friends, former colleagues and players, Penn State and the commonwealth — for which we offer our sincere condolences.
From a professional responsibility and legal ethics perspective, the Sandusky prosecution is a veritable bonanza, magnified exponentially by the massive media coverage it attracts. From the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office to the accused, the alleged victims, witnesses and Penn State University, lawyers are involved in virtually every aspect of the sordid affair — and the media is all over it.
