Jerry Sandusky has pension restored after ruling from Pennsylvania court

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Associated Press, via USA Today

AP 10:57 a.m. EST November 13, 2015

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The state must restore the pension of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky that was taken away three years ago on the day he was sentenced to prison on child molestation convictions, a Pennsylvania court ordered Friday.

A Commonwealth Court panel ruled unanimously that the State Employees’ Retirement Board wrongly concluded Sandusky was a Penn State employee when he committed the crimes that were the basis for the pension forfeiture.

“The board conflated the requirements that Mr. Sandusky engage in ‘work relating to’ PSU and that he engage in that work ‘for’ PSU,” wrote Judge Dan Pellegrini. “Mr. Sandusky’s performance of services that benefited PSU does not render him a PSU employee.”

Sandusky, 71, collected a $148,000 lump sum payment upon retirement in 1999 and began receiving monthly payments of $4,900. ... The board stopped those payments in October 2012 on the day he was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison for sexually abusing 10 children.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2015/11/13/jerry-sandusky-pension-restored-pennsylvania-court/75702030/

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This is strictly a matter of contract law. The decision was unanimous, too.

A copy of the decision is here:

Pa. court restores Jerry Sandusky's state pension

By Matt Miller | [email protected]
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on November 13, 2015 at 9:55 AM, updated November 13, 2015 at 10:24 AM

A Commonwealth Court ruling issued Friday morning restores the state pension that was forfeited by Jerry Sandusky after the former Penn State coach was convicted of molesting several boys.

The court's ruling is based, in part, on a finding by the judges that Sandusky was not a Penn State University employee when the crimes were committed.
....

Commonwealth Court opinion on Sandusky pension

ETA: I'm going to bold this, to make sure people know what happened today:

His convictions on the molestation charges were not overturned. He's still in prison. All today's decision affects is his pension.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

1. Everything comes up roses at Penn State

All the punishments stripped, Jerry gets his pension back.....no one has to answer for anything in Happy Valley.

Burn in hell, Joe Pa.

[valerief]

2. Disgusting. Birds of a feather, I guess. nt

[Shrike47]

3. Legally predictable ruling. Can't mess with a vested benefit.

[catrose]

6. But any time a corporation says "We can't afford pensions"

The employees get thrown under the bus. Except for the postal workers, whose pension is paid 75 years in advance, to the destruction of the PO.

The "lawmakers" are not even pretending any more.

[demosincebirth]

11. That's the way it should be.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. I don't like it, but I don't like leaving his wife

destitute either.

[Jefferson23]

10. She can go to hell, leaving her destitute is too good for her.

They were manipulated, and they saw money,’’ Sandusky said. “Once lawyers came into the case, they said there was money.”

The wife admitted that Sandusky did bathe with other boys, but denied that there was anything sexual about the steamy showers.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/jerry-sandusky-wife-breaks-silence-not-weak-wife-article-1.1718237

Her adopted son:

At bedtime, Matthew says Sandusky followed a "ritual" of sexually abusing him. The rest of his time with the family seemed, on the surface, completely innocent and ordinary.

"Any other time that we were in the home... it was fine. You'd look at that family and you would say, 'Wow. I wish that I had brothers and sisters that cared about me. I wish that I had a mother who cooked dinner every night for the whole family. I wish that I had all of these things,'" Matthew recalls. "But then at bedtime, his ritual began."

In Thursday's interview, Matthew also shares his account of the grooming, methodical control and manipulation he faced as a child. Though it will spark outrage and disgust, Oprah insists it's an interview every parent must watch.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/16/matthew-sandusky-jerry-overnight-visits_n_5589355.html

[Cosmocat]

16. Eh

she, more than anyone, knew what he was ...

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

5. And he probably gets to collect that back-payments of 4900/mo for 3 years.

At least a cool $176,000 lump sum. His wife should be happy.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Since the pension was stripped contrary to contract, yes

His wife is entitled to the contracted payments.

For the record, corporation should also be beholden to contracted pensions, and they should have priority (yes, even over bondholders) in bankruptcy, given the severe effect of retracting them.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

17. Isn't it nice when H supporters and B supporters can agree on something. After all, we are Democrats

[Recursion]

8. As much as it galls, that's the right decision. It's not the state's money to take away

That's how pensions (are supposed to) work.

[modrepub]

9. I doubt he'll actually see any money

His legal expenses continue to mount. Not sure if he owes restitution or not (or if this is even touchable). In all likelihood Sandusky is going to spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement. Not that that will be enough in some peoples minds.

[Sunlei]

12. Our country doesn't take away vested benefits/benefits from any convicted criminals.

[niyad]

13. so, if he WASN'T a penn state employee, what was he? the football team is not part of the

school?

[yardwork]

14. Up for grabs in a civil suit? Does this mean victims can collect?

[packman]

15. That's what I was wondering also - but

probably not. Pensions are usually insulated from suits.