 Matt Rourke / AP Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is driven from the Centre County Courthouse after being sentenced in Bellefonte, Pa., on Tuesday. By Karen Araiza, NBC10 Philadelphia 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. Also on NBCPhiladelphia.com: Anger fuels Ben Franklin bust theft, police say 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." "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. Jerry Sandusky, who is officially labeled a sexually violent predator, will be transferred from county jail to state prison next week to begin serving what amounts to a life in prison following Tuesday's sentencing. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports. 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. MSNBC's Thomas Roberts talks to NBC National Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff and Attorney Jeffrey Fritz, who represents Victim Number Four, about the sentencing in the sexual abuse conviction of Jerry Sandusky. More content from NBCNews.com:
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10/12/2012
Jerry Sandusky in letter to judge: 'Goliath won'
Watch their faces
(CNN) -- The Vice Presidential debate on Thursday night was full of facts and claims and sometimes tense exchanges about policy. But it was also full of outsized facial expressions from candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, who reacted to one another's statements with a whole lot more than words. If you are unable to see the images, click here to see them on Storify. .  |
Chicago public schools chief out in wake of teachers strike
 Sitthixay Ditthavong / AP file Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard delivers a presentation at a Chicago Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012 in Chicago. By Carol Marin and Mary Ann Ahern, NBCChicago.com Jean-Claude Brizard, plucked last year from Rochester, N.Y., to lead Chicago Public Schools, is out. "I leave this role with great sadness, but with the knowledge that the seeds for true innovation and transformation have been planted," Brizard said in a statement sent out shortly after midnight Friday morning. For more visit NBCChicago.com. Spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton classified the move as a "mutual agreement" between Brizard and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Office of the Mayor issued a statement Friday morning stating Emanuel would be making an "announcement about education" at 10:30 a.m. The announcement will name CPS Chief Education Advisor Barbara Byrd Bennett as Brizard's replacement, Hamilton said. Sources said Brizard gave his resignation to Emanuel on Monday, but the mayor opted this week to focus on his budget proposal to the Chicago City Council. A source added that Brizard personally informed Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis. "You cannot fire your way to a new school district," Lewis said through her spokesman. "There is chaos at the top that trickles down to the bottom." The development is a dramatic turnaround from late August, when Emanuel expressed confidence in his school leader and shot down a published report that Brizard was on his way out. Also on NBCChicago.com: Evergreen Teachers Reach Tentative Agreement "Its just that, rumor," Emanuel told reporters on Aug. 31. "He's (Brizard's) doing a great job." It didn't go unnoticed, however, that Brizard was absent from many of the public statements made by officials during the recent teacher strike that kept students out of class for seven days. His lack of visibility fueled speculation that he'd resigned or been fired. "The reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated," Brizard said in a public email in mid-September. Brizard came to Chicago in April 2011 after a three-year stint as the superintendent of schools in Rochester, N.Y. He replaced interim chief Terry Mazany. As for Bennett, she came to Chicago earlier this year after helping to lead reform efforts in Detroit, Cleveland and New York City. More content from NBCNews.com:
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Two toddlers critically injured in attack by aunt's Rottweilers
| By NBC News staff Two toddlers in Ohio were critically injured in an attack by their aunt's three Rottweilers, according to local reports. Richland County Dog Warden Dave Jordan said immediately following the Thursday attack family members took the dogs to a vet in Ashland, Ohio to be euthanized, the Mansfield News Journal reported. The dogs will be tested for rabies by the Richland Health Department. Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter The toddlers -- Kaitlyn O'Brien, 22 months, and Reagan O'Brien, 3 -- were flown to an Akron hospital, which said Friday it couldn't release any information about them, the News Journal reported. Richland County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Lewis told the newspaper that the girls' aunt, Sandra Lynn Kinstle, went on a walk with her two nieces and three Rottweilers -- a male and two females. Reagan reportedly ran ahead, and the male Rottweiler, which weighed about 180 pounds, chased and attacked her. The other two dogs followed and then turned on Kaitlyn. Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com The aunt then reportedly covered the girls with her body to stop the dogs and was injured. She was listed in fair condition at a Mansfield hospital Thursday. Jordan said the owners reported having no previous problems with the dogs. No charges were immediately filed. More content from NBCNews.com:
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Ex-Connecticut firefighter pleads guilty to fatal 1986 arson
| By NBCConnecticut.com  Peter Waraska was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison for setting a fire that killed a couple. A former Connecticut volunteer firefighter has been sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to setting a fatal 1986 fire in East Windsor. For more visit NBCConnecticut.com. Peter Waraksa, 50, pleaded guilty on Thursday to two counts of negligent homicide, arson and burglary. Waraksa was arrested in July 2010 -- more than 23 years after the crime -- in connection with the deaths of Orie "Harold" Weeks, 59, and his wife, Assunta, 57, who were found dead after a fire at their home on Oct. 7, 1986. Waraksa, a member of the Warehouse Point Volunteer Fire Department at the time of the fire, was charged with arson murder after an investigation by East Windsor police and the state cold case unit. He was already in prison at the time of the arrest, serving a five-year sentence issued in 2007 for sexually assaulting five boys. More content from NBCNews.com:
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Peace Prize draws moans
The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Friday to the European Union for peaceful reconciliation after World War II between former foes Germany and France, and for spreading democracy and human rights through Europe. 
Chinese writer Mo Yan won the 2012 Nobel Prize for literature on Thursday, October 11, for works which combine "hallucinatory realism" with folk tales, history and contemporary life grounded in his native land. Picture taken October 19, 2005. 
Robert Lefkowitz, center, enters a party held for him at Duke University after winning the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday. Lefkowitz shares the prize with his former student, Brian Kobilka. 
Dr. Brian Kobilka, a professor of molecular and cellular physiology, stands in his laboratory at Stanford University. He shares the Nobel Prize in chemistry with Robert Lefkowitz of Duke University. 
Serge Haroche, a French physicist and professor at the College de France, shares the Nobel Prize in physics with David Wineland. 
David Wineland, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics, gives a tour Tuesday of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, where he works in the physics department. 
Kyoto University professor Shinya Yamanaka of Japan won the Nobel Prize in medicine for groundbreaking work on stem cells. He shares the prize with Sir John B. Gurdon of Britain. 
Sir John Gurdon speaks Monday at a press conference after being awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. 
Firms, staff fight over social media friends
| By Bob Sullivan If you and your company get an ugly divorce, does your company get to keep the friends? A controversial court ruling last week has shined a light on this made-in-the-digital age problem: Who owns Twitter followers, Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections when employers and employees part ways? With personal and professional lives mingled online as never before, a distinctly 21st Century fight is brewing over who owns your friendships. A federal judge in Pennsylvania on Oct. 4 rejected a claim by Linda Eagle that her prior employee had illegally accessed her LinkedIn account after she left her company, Edcomm. Workers there changed Eagle's password after her departure, preventing her from accessing critical contacts and, she claimed, damaged her ability to find new work. But the judge dismissed most elements of her lawsuit, giving fuel to those who argue that social media groomed at work belongs to employers. "The initial outcome of the case is very troubling," said Bradley Shear, a Washington, D.C.,-area lawyer who specializes in social media. It opens the door for employers to claim ownership of any social account -- even personal accounts -- because Eagle's account was created under her own name, he warned. "It demonstrates there's a need for people to become much more educated about this." Other court rulings have hinted that courts might be inclined to see things the employer's way. Earlier this year, a federal California court allowed a publication named PhoneDog to proceed with a lawsuit against former writer Noah Kravitz, who had amassed 17,000 Twitter followers while working there. Kravitz claimed the followers were his, but PhoneDog sued for ownership in 2011, and the judge denied a motion to dismiss the case in a February ruling – a positive sign for PhoneDog's legal argument. Two other recent cases also sided with firms making ownership claims on social media contacts. Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University, cautioned that each of these cases is "incredibly fact specific," and none establishes a universal principle that could be widely applied. Still, workers should be on notice that their employer getting their friends in the divorce is not so far-fetched. "People should learn from this that it's dangerous to mix business with pleasure," he said. In many ways, the "who owns the connections and the conversations" issue is unique to social media and the digital age. In the past, there was never any question that a public relations professional was speaking on behalf of a company, and that communication was company-owned – as were the contact lists. But what of a long-time flack who arrives at a new firm with a long list of her own Twitter followers, and who writes messages using that account that are decidedly personal? Who owns those messages, and those contacts? The issue is as murky as most employees' work-life balance. "Many of these accounts have 'mingled interests,' " Goldman said. "That makes things difficult." In fact, the very nature of social media means the accounts don't really work unless they have a touch of personality. Tweeted press releases aren't interesting on Twitter; personal wit is regarded above all, and encouraged at every smart firm with a social media presence. On the other hand, it's reasonable to think of LinkedIn contacts as akin to customer lists, which are clearly proprietary and belong to employers as intellectual property. For decades, firms have claimed ownership of client lists (and employees have tried sneak out the door with them). If a LinkedIn account is little more than a list of business connections that are directly related to a job, why wouldn't a company claim it? Of course, fights over Rolodexes aren't new – but old-fashioned piles of business cards make a poor analogy for a long-curated group of Twitter followers. Besides, users who have a developed a personal relationship with a social media creator aren't likely to be much use to a company which takes over an account, Goldman noted. "You can grab the Rolodex, but you can't really grab the relationship?" he said. There's also the subtle "you are nothing without me" argument. When television anchor and early Twitter adopter Rick Sanchez left CNN, he had a follower list of 150,000. Without CNN, Sanchez would not have compiled such a following, and when he left, observers imagined a brewing controversy. A fight was averted when CNN Sanchez keep the list as long as he changed his Twitter handle, from @ricksanchezcnn to @ricksancheznews . LinkedIn hasn't offered a lot of guidance in the issue, but in a brief statement to NBC News, the company seemed to suggest that it might take up the fight on behalf of users at some point. "We don't know the specific facts and circumstances of the relationships or agreements between Ms. Eagle and her former employer, nor are we parties to the lawsuit, so we can't comment on it specifically," said LinkedIn spokesman Hani Durzy. "However, LinkedIn prides itself on being a members-first organization, and in general we believe that a member's professional profile belongs to them." Other digital-era issues offer conflicting notions. In the United States, employees have no right to privacy over emails they write at work, even if they are using personal email accounts. Employers are within their rights to employ snooping software to watch everything workers do with company computers. That might suggest any Facebook or Twitter work done by an employee on company property belongs to the company. On the other hand, there's a long history of domain name confusion that sides with workers. Employees who register company domains in their own names, for example, often end up with an awful lot of leverage after they leave the company -- they can redirect the domain, for example. To Shear, the lawyer specializing in social media, that leads to a practical question for companies that might be inclined to make claims on social media accounts. "LinkedIn is an external system. Why are you are putting resources into an external system that you don't have control over? Companies prefer their own email to Gmail for this reason," he said. One critical element of the Eagle case is that she had shared her password with a coworker, who updated the LinkedIn page for her. That put the company in a good position to make a claim -- it could change the password, lock her out and ask questions later. So should employees refuse such password sharing? Some companies compel users to do so, though increasingly state legislatures are considering laws making the practice illegal. Meanwhile, most social networks -- including LinkedIn -- say it's against their terms of service to share passwords. There may already be existing laws that cover a lot of this controversy. Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements -- which prevent workers from contacting clients after exiting a firm -- prevent a lot of the issues that businesses are really concerned about when they make social media contact claims. Still, those are often unenforceable, particularly in California, which has broad employment right laws. That has Shear and Goldman concerned that future employment agreements will contain the broadest possible provisions, with companies seeking rights to all online relationships while workers are in their employ. "That would be an egregious overreach," Goldman warned. It would also kill the spirit of social media, as popular Twitter posters would disappear overnight, each time they change jobs. "In the end, we as readers will be the losers, because we won't be able to find the people we are looking for," he said There is one saving grace in this discussion: Despite our pride of amassing a few thousand friends or followers, Goldman points out that most social media accounts are not so valuable that they are worth fighting over in court. "The economics don't support litigation," he said. "How much is an account with 17,000 followers worth? At $1 a follower, that's $17,000 -- that would hardly even get (the lawsuit) filed." RED TAPE WRESTLING TIPS For workers who are concerned, Shear offers three quick tips.
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