MSNBC.com reports that former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno has spoken with a criminal defense lawyer after his departure from PSU for his involvement – or non-involvement – in allegations that former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky used the Penn State program to further sexual relationships with young boys.
J. Sedgwick Sollers, who once represented President George H.W. Bush in the Iran-Contra affair, was contacted by Paterno’s advisers on Thursday. But Sollers has not yet met with Paterno, and a formal retainer agreement has not been signed.
Paterno hasn’t been charged with anything, and based on the facts we’ve seen so far, it seems unlikely that he would be, since he met his legal obligation to tell his superiors about a key incident involving Sandusky in a shower in a Penn State locker room in 2002. But criminal charges might not be all that’s on Paterno’s mind:
A source close to Paterno said that in addition to the investigations by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the former coach is concerned about the likelihood of civil lawsuits by Sandusky’s alleged victims and their families.
If that’s a legitimate concern, it sounds like there’s a possibility Paterno could be spending a lot of the next few years in court.