Posted on 11/30/2012 10:55:39 AM PST by FlJoePa
By Adam Lidgett Collegian Staff Writer
The three former Penn State administrators charged with perjury in relation to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case have all filed motions referencing the way a former university attorney testified against them to the grand jury and some legal experts are saying the case is tainted because of it.
Both former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Interim Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz have filed to have their Dec. 13 preliminary hearing postponed. Both men say they believed former university counsel Cynthia Baldwin was representing them in front of the grand jury when they testified, while she was actually representing the university.
Baldwin later testified in front of the grand jury against Curley and Schultz, as well as former Penn State president Graham Spanier. He has filed to have the charges against him dismissed based on the claim that Baldwin broke attorney-client when she testified in front of the grand jury.
The case is beyond repair at this point, said Matt McClenahen, of McClenahen Law Firm LLC. I have never seen anything like this happen before. I dont think the judge can be creative enough to remedy what has happened.
McClenahen said the only way Baldwin would have been allowed in the grand jury room as an attorney is if she was representing someone, which in the case would have been Curley, Schultz and Spanier.
McClenahen said this means once she testified in front of the grand jury, she would have testified against her clients and violated attorney-client privilege. Not only should Baldwin know enough not to testify against Curley, Schultz and Spanier, McClenahen said, but the prosecutors should have also known enough not to call her to testify.
McClenahen also said all three men should not have had the same attorney, as they could all at one point have implicated each other.
This should really shock the conscience of anybody who knows anything about the criminal justice system,the criminal justice system, McClenahen said.
James Bryant, of Bryant and Cantorna Attorneys at Law, P.C., said the three men fell into a grand jury trap.
There was a statute of limitations, so later on they cant be prosecuted for anything, Bryant said. But [Curley, Schultz and Spanier] were asked to go in and tell their side [to the grand jury]. When someone says something different, they can be charged with lying to the grand jury, which is what happened.
Bryant said Baldwin should have told the men either to plead the Fifth Amendment, so as to not implicate themselves, or to ask for immunity if they were to testify.
Curley and Schultz were charged last November with perjury and failure to report suspected abuse in relation to the Sandusky case.
Curley and Schultz were arraigned on new charges on Nov. 2 of child endangerment, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit the previously mentioned crimes.
Spanier has been charged with perjury, child endangerment, obstruction of justice and failure to report suspected abuse, as well as conspiracy to commit the previously mentioned crimes in relation to the Sandusky case.
Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator, was convicted in June on 45 counts of child sex abuse. Sandusky was sentenced in October to serve 30 to 60 years in prison.
This is an error that even a first year law student wouldn’t make.
Cynthia Baldwin was a former PA State Supreme Court Judge!!!
Amazing...
In other words, the series of events, as described by Baldwin through Davis, played out like this:
December 2010: Baldwin tells Curley and Schultz she represents the university and they can get their own attorneys.
January 2011: Baldwin drives them to the grand jury. On the trip, the three apparently do not discuss the investigation or who will represent the two men.
In the judges chambers: After Baldwin announces she is representing Penn State, she is simply allowed to walk into the grand jury room to listen to the testimony of Curley and Schultz even though she has not said she represents them.
In the grand jury room: Baldwin doesnt remember hearing Curley and Schultz identify her as counsel. Baldwin skips Paternos testimony.
On the drive home: The subject of representation doesnt come up.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/02/penn_state_legal_counsel_cynth.html
Baldwin actually did state she was representing the administrators in the grand jury room, but she has since clarified that her primary duty was to Penn State.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/11/post_473.html
What?????
For 2 whole years from 2006 to 2008. Was that just long enough to get a full judicial pension??
I’m far removed from PA. Are those positions elected? Appointed? Was she appointed to fill out someone’s term and then chose to not run for re-election? Anyone/
“Then, in 2006, she was appointed to the state Supreme Court by Governor Ed Rendell. She retired from the court in January of 2008.” [wiki]
Ahhhh.....but we assume they want justice for these men. What if they don’t?
Joe was the only smart one that didn’t trust her, and got his own attorney. Seems the others were told - “Don’t worry about it...no big deal...we’ve got your back”.
We’ve seen how that’s worked out, haven’t we?
Question is - who told them they were ok? Baldwin? Surma? Garban? Corbett?
And then she goes before the Grand Jury and testifies against them on top of that.
How did she pass her law exam -- or did she???
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