# It's time to officially Pit Joe Paterno and the Penn State football program. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 7, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167 "2011-11-07T14:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 67
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1321 "2011-12-07T14:57:46Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > That’s not a nice way to describe Smethport. 😉 I will not have you disparaging the original home of [Wooly Willy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooly_Willy)! ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1322 "2011-12-07T15:21:02Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I don’t think I’m following the whole plea-bargain/no-plea-bargain logic here. > > From my extensive study of courts and the law (_Law and Order; LA Law; Night Court_; etc.) a plea-bargain is generally something agreed to in order to avoid the harsher punishment that would likely come from a conviction. > > So if Sandusky had a normal lawyer who realized just how well and truly fucked this guy is, why wouldn’t he shoot for some sort of plea-bargain? The prosecution is also capable of understanding the odds, and plus they face a lot of public pressure to come down hard on the guy. They are likely to drive a very hard bargain. If you are 27 years old, the difference between a 50 year sentence and a 20 year sentence is a big one. If you are 67, there’s not much difference. So it’s not likely that Sandusky can get anything meaningful from a plea deal, at least at this point. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1323 "2011-12-07T19:04:46Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > So if Sandusky had a normal lawyer who realized just how well and truly fucked this guy is, why wouldn’t he shoot for some sort of plea-bargain? Ethics aside, if the lawyer’s charging Sandusky hourly doesn’t that give him incentive to draw this out? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1324 "2011-12-07T19:22:48Z")
Yes. Like any other lawyer. In this case it’s a bit worse, because he also has an incentive to keep his name in the news. No such thing as bad publicity. Though that would apply even if he’s not charging by the hour. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1325 "2011-12-07T19:29:32Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > Ethics aside, if the lawyer’s charging Sandusky hourly doesn’t that give him incentive to draw this out? Unless he’s changed his lawyer from the last time I heard about, that’s a big “probably”, given that an adult (40-ish) man who’ll knock up a 16-year-old _client_ and _subordinate_ doesn’t have many legal ethics anyway. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1326 "2011-12-07T20:31:34Z")
And Sandusky is [arrested](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/12/ex-penn-state-coach-sandusky-arrested-on-new-sex-abuse-charges.html)again on more charges - two more victims, both in 2004 (though I saw another article that says one of the two was in 1997?) He’s up to 52 counts against him. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1327 "2011-12-07T21:37:15Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They’ll have to move it to Bumfuzz, PA I see what you didn’t do there. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1328 "2011-12-08T00:45:56Z")
More [Grand Jury](http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/111207_Sandusky-Presentment.pdf) reports. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1329 "2011-12-08T00:59:44Z")
I would like to encourage Jerry to hang in there; the 2012 Death Pool doesn’t start for another 24 days. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1330 "2011-12-08T01:17:36Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > So it’s not likely that Sandusky can get anything meaningful from a plea deal, at least at this point. He could save a half-million in legal fees… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1331 "2011-12-08T01:19:12Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > He could save a half-million in legal fees… He won’t be able to spend that money in jail. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1332 "2011-12-08T01:19:17Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They’ll have to move it to Bumfuzz, PA, back in the backiest back woods of some Northern Tier county seat. Where they’ll think Jerry has a purty mouth? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1333 "2011-12-08T01:46:32Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > More [Grand Jury](http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/111207_Sandusky-Presentment.pdf) reports. Equally foul stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1334 "2011-12-08T01:53:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > He won’t be able to spend that money in jail. No reason to bankrupt the family, I would imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1335 "2011-12-08T02:27:09Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > More [Grand Jury](http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/111207_Sandusky-Presentment.pdf) reports. Jesus Christ. Well, **Starving Artist** , have enough of the “facts”, come out for you? THIS is the guy Paterno was covering up for. Still going to defend him? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1336 "2011-12-08T02:30:00Z")
Not that I believe that “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire” as any kind of certainty, but there is an AWFUL lot of smoke hanging around Jerry, isn’t there? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1337 "2011-12-08T02:30:35Z")
Jesus, just eat a bullet already! ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1338 "2011-12-08T02:38:12Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > No reason to bankrupt the family, I would imagine. Not from his perspective, but then he’s a sociopath who obviously doesn’t think other people are real. From our perspective I don’t mind his wife being bankrupted. Especially from the new GJ complaint, it is very clear she turned a willful blind eye at least. I’d have to think other family members at least had their suspicions. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1339 "2011-12-08T02:41:47Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I would like to encourage Jerry to hang in there; the 2012 Death Pool doesn’t start for another 24 days. > [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Jesus, just eat a bullet already! Don’t let the bastards get you down, Jerry. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167/1340 "2011-12-08T02:48:16Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > No reason to bankrupt the family, I would imagine. Yes, he’s beginning to look like a selfish jerk who doesn’t care much about hurting other people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167.md?page=66) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-time-to-officially-pit-joe-paterno-and-the-penn-state-football-program/602167.md?page=68)