Nittany Nightmare Continues Past Sandusky: Former President Spanier Charged- NEW Charges for Curley and Schultz Filed
Happy Valley- PA On the heels of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky’s transfer to his new home, what most predicted would follow- has.
Former Penn State President Graham Spanier, fired by the Penn State Board of Trust the same day as legendary late-Nittany Lions Coach Joe Paterno, is facing serious charges today filed by Sandusky’s prosecutors.
Spanier is facing counts of obstruction of justice, perjury, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of children and failure to report allegations of child abuse.
Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, who were facing perjury and charges based on “non-reporting”, are now facing all five similar charges as Spanier- additional filings occurred simultaneously.
Linda L. Kelly stated the men “used their positions to conceal and cover up for years the activities of a known child predator,” on Thursday following the announcement.
Please check back to www.blinkoncrime for this developing story.
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@Rose, Except for judicial positions, you must be in the same party as the candidate to sign or circulate a nominating petition.
Pipes raised the issue at BoC Tues that someone’s govt supervisor asked them to sign a petition at the worksite.
I presume more than one Repub & Dem may be running in their party’s primary for the same position. Reason the
Fed govt had the Hatch Act.
@Rose, the federal Hatch Act doesn’t DIRECTLY apply to county employees. If they are civil service they are covered by state laws prohibiting some activities. As a rule, if the boss is running, and you are not CS, you sign the boss’s petition.
The OAG is petitioning for a reconsideration on SPM’s petition: http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/attorney-general-reportedly-wants-to-address-jurisdiction-in-da-forgery-case,1462859/
@JJ in Phila It only applies to Fed employees. I doubt PA is a state that has enacted similar govt worksite protections. We know Exarchos & Dershem just rebuffed Pipes request for a one sentence directive. Apparently dA-to-be-again Castor wants the SC to rule on the concurrent jurisdiction piece. Apparently the OAG does too, but are coming late fo the party. Idk the Motions to Intervene rules in PA. They do have an interest in resolving this issue Statewide. I don’t think OAG would do this uess in the GJ Miller was impressive & others were not. Of course, OAG can hardly let stand a Special Prosector having been appointed by whatever govt entity thinks it can. I’m surprised Kane was so slow.
Can’t someone convert this man to Republican, please? He’s a good fit with Fina.
http://mobile.philly.com/blogs/?wss=/philly/blogs/capitolinq/&id=292743481
OAG has a petition with the PA Supreme Court claiming claiming exclusive jurisdiction in the SPM case.
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/19/4611397_pa-attorney-general-claims-jurisdiction.html?rh=1
It’s proper, imo.
B
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/19/4611397/pa-attorney-general-claims-jurisdiction.html
J Kistler sent by email to 22 professional crim justice colleagues in 2013.
Looks like a Securus Corp ad.
http://pigroll.com/913_merry-christmas-from-the-johnsons.html
Oh my Pete. Link to article or are you kidding, lol?
B
OAG “specifically mentions this report, confirming that Parks Miller forwarded the allegations to the OAG before January”
fast work by SPM as the Bar complaint & affidavit were filed Dec 30. She notified OAG the following day, likely when Bar Counsel notified her.
“The commissioners also argued that Bellefonte police could have side-by-side jurisdiction with the OAG, claiming that both offices could conduct parallel investigations. Their reasoning was based on a section of the Pennsylvania County Code that allows any citizen to go to court to allege that a district attorney has neglected the duties of their office.
The OAG disagrees with that argument, and writes that the “Bellefonte Borough Police Department has agreed to cease its investigation”
“The OAG says that state police were involved in the investigation into the reported murder plot, which would constitute a conflict of interest if state officers were to investigate the forgery allegations. Because of this, Barker writes that the OAG is the only “non-conflicted entity” with the authority to investigate Parks Miller.”
http://www.statecollege.com/mobile/news/local-news/attorney-general-says-bellefonte-police-county-commissioners-overstepped-authority,1462899/
now if Fina, Corman, Chris, or Steve were among the recipients….
http://triblive.com/mobile/7816910-96/court-kistler-email
ignore my request for the link. Sheesh.
B
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/20/4612591/questionable-email-causes-stir.html
“has absolutely no ill intent,” he said. “It was a comment about how lightly people take being incarcerated.”
He was adamant that there was no racism involved.”
I agree. Not racist. Imo it was a concurring opinion from Kistler, making light about incarcerated prisoners’ Xmas holiday visitation restrictions, as lampooned.
Falce broad hints SPM or her staff released to Inquirer. Imo it was someone who does not want Tough Sentence Lunsford as Sr Judge, which would reduce Probation Dept’s workload perhaps.
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/20/4612591/questionable-email-causes-stir.html#storylink=cpy
I don’t think family men incarcerated at Christmas take it lightly.
Kistler gave a doofus sound bite.
Will it improve?
forgetabout $60 million.
OAG plus partner County DAs, continue to aggressively roll up
child porn & child predation.
http://wnep.com/2015/02/13/child-predator-sting-in-lackawanna-county/
Who wants the govt out of that business?
Kistler recently, at the request of peer Republicans on the BoC I assume, asked magistrates to shorten sentences & offer bail more to decrease prison overcrowding, because the County contracted out & sold a no of beds to create prison income to offset expense. Imo the card recipient who released it is in favor of that Kistler supervisory approach and does not want to lose Kistler to the SC & replace him with long sentence lunsford. I imagine the DA Office 5 who got that email have established a pool to buy Kistler Grayhoind roundtrip tickets to Harrisburg or wherever.
research Q, JJ in Phila, which I have looked for & cannot find.
When did longtime Centre Cty Prison Warden Immert leave the
job and why? Is Debra, re-running for prothonotary this year,
still married to him? If not, when did that end? For all I know
there’s an obit somewhere, but I don’t find it. Remember,
SPM was investivating potential crime at the prison in a matter
troubling to, or implicating, Chris & Steve.
@Rose, it is a bit out of my area, but I will try to look into it.
@Rose, Debra C. Immel is seeking a fifth term. David Immel served as warden for about 4 years and has been with the recycling authority since May of 2004 as per Linkedin. I do not know what the marital status is.
Thank you. I was wondering if he lost his job due to Centre Cty prison being folded into Rockview or was there some reason to go from corrections to recycling? Appreciate you finding him. Her election materials mention other members of ber family, not him. Just wondering if any basis for grudge against DA, or touchiness in her election year.
And one wonders if his “new job” was near in term post-Gricar’s disappearance. That is, did the prison have potential criminal activity even then?
@Rose, the prison is still separate; a new one was built around 2005. David Immel was out as warden about year Gricar RFG disappeared. It looks like he got a better job.
You know JJ in Phila, he’d been “warden” since at least 1986. The County Recycling Authority, and other promotional opportunities, say at Penn State, were there long before 2005 If he’d wanted to move on up after say 1995. Sometimes in rural Counties men are allowed a job move out of a facility to another County govt job if there are problems, particularly if their wife is valued with an elective job. It is possible Gricar found some Admin troubles, as there were some incidents at the prison ie a youth suicide. Gricar have kept his questions quiet provided Immel lateral transfed. And Stacey with her historical digging in the Gricar case, involvement of State Police, & scrutiny of potential prison wrongdoing….
whoever in the Probation Dept did not want Lunsford as Sr Judge gets their wish.
This Judge already had his devoted work space set up at Penn State per press a week ago.
It is reflective of character:
1) he does not attribute his withdrawal to his own bad judgment in forwarding a Xmas lampoon of an incarcerated man. (McCord did)
2) he discussed his nomination & confirmation with fellow Republican Corman in Nov after the election.
( When was it he signed that order against Lunsford & made the judicial investigation report?)
Ruest would take over had Lunsford resigned.
—-
The Admin vacancy is the retired Ishler.
He wants to hire her replacement.
His statement reads as a warning to me to Kaine & Miller, I’ll be here to settle the DA matter.
Vengance is mine saith the King.
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/23/4617084/kistler-withdraws-name-for-consideration.html
So I guess the Lunsford yanking court docs is going swimmingly, lol
B
The BoC has, as is recent habit,
cancelled this week’s mtg.
One way to avoid public comment.
and avoid press Qs.
Were the “get Miller & Lunsford contributory activities” things
Santorum’s former chief of staff asked Kistler to sign on board to
last Nov in a quid pro quo for the nomination?
Miller’s election popularity was a threat to Corman in County,
growing a Dem base.
CDT comments are saying he put duty before self and his stock went up.
I have no doubt Corman told him after talking to Wolf
that he would not be confirmed & must pull the plug.
He failed to take personal responsibility. I’m sure
he’s mad as H at Miller, blaming someone in her Office.
http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/judge-kistler-withdraws-nomination-to-pa-supreme-court,1462934/
Prothonotary accusation of Lunsford came in Dec.
Same month as accusation of Miller.
“Kistler also tells StateCollege.com that the forgery allegations involving Centre County District Attorney and the Centre County Commissioners are part of his decision, saying that there is “a great deal of unrest” in the county court system. Kistler says his withdrawal has nothing to do with a potentially offensive email he sent in 2013 that has recently surfaced.”
translation, he’s going after Miller. I bet Chris & Steve are ecstatic.
They must have had to put recording equipment in the men’s room at the courthouse- this is just unreal.
B
“Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement that Centre County President Judge Thomas Kistler pulled out. He said the state Senate cancelled its intent to hold a hearing Tuesday on his second nominee, Duquesne University Law School Dean Ken Gormley.
“I will make no further nominations, and Senate Leadership has said they will not hold hearings for either of the existing vacancies on the Supreme Court,” Wolf
“Asked whether Gormley’s nomination would proceed, Senate President Pro Termpore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, told reporters: “I don’t see that happening.”
http://triblive.com/mobile/7834426-96/kistler-centre-gormley
State can’t get 2 clean judges to serve 9 montgs.
@Rose, the allegations about SPM came out before the announcement of Kistler’s appointment. He is using it as an excuse to withdraw. In a way he owes SPM for that.
This was a political deal with one Republican and one Democrat that was acceptable to all parties. Gormley has a few problems as well.
I thought Kistler was appointed in Nov? Is that not accurate?
B
Previously just after his nomination in January, Kistler said he had offered himself to Corman the SC kingmaker in November, but until Wolf nominated him in January, nothing was secure tho it seemed he & Corman had a deal.
—-
Today in the first article “scoop” at CDT, before be learned to parse his words and omit frill detaills as the day wore on, Kistler presented it as an agreement reached with Corman after the November election, but in the same breath he says he approached Corman, followed by Corman approaching him. http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/23/4617084/kistler-withdraws-name-for-consideration.html
“Since November, when I first offered to serve the (c)ommonwealth on the highest court in Pennsylvania, …”
Had the “current circumstances” been known in November, when Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, approached him about being nominated, he never would have agreed, Kistler wrote.”
—-
He wanted this. I’m sure he believes Miller leaked his waterloo. It is more
likely than not he consulted informally with Glantz, Chris & Steve in
the first place on how to handle the affidavit, & likely he gave them
bad legal advice. He apparently regularly consulted with Comms on admin matters.
After all, he consulted with Chris & Steve privately before going at their request to ask magistrate judges to give lighter sentences & bails for administrative reasons, excluding SPM DA from that conversation, over her opposition.
Wolf learns a lesson;
“I was trying to give the conventional way you do things in something like this – you know, a Republican and a Democrat – and try to make that work,” he said Monday afternoon during an interview in Washington, where he had been attending a governors conference. “And I think I learned a lesson: Do my own vetting and make sure I’m doing the right thing as far as I can tell – not try to make the deals.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150224_Wolf_nominee_withdraws_name_for_Supreme_Court.html#7YPpwp9XixCp8PUp.99
—–
The last word over the weekend was the nomination hinged on this:
“We’ve received a lot of information today, and he wants to review it,” administration spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan told PennLive on Friday”
Sounds like Wolf got more than The Email.
http://blog.pennlive.com/capitol-notebook/2015/02/pa_supreme_court_nominee_thoma.html
—-
Kistler’s statements today sound like he’s running an ad campaign for Masorti’s CrisisinourCourthouse facebook. CIOC is using the withdrawal letter.
@Blink, no. Wolf made the nomination after becoming governor, and he wasn’t sworn in until 1/20/15. They had talked about it, I’m sure, but it was formally announced until 2/6/15.
Lunsford’s reassignment was in the press on 12/5/14; Kristler made the decision, so he obviously knew about it.
The SPM story broke the same day Wolf was sworn in, on 1/20/15. Obviously Kristler knew about it then.
@JJ in Phila. about both the Lunsford and Parks Miller situations being known well before Kristler’s nomination was announced in January.
That is true. Masorti had made a Bar report 12/30 or before; she had made an OAG report 12/31 or before. And someone, probably Kistler, had made a Dec report to the judicial ethics board about the ourt docs not being in the jacket or whatever on Lunsford. And he signed that crim bench order previously.
Is this Judge a truthful Judge?
In his statements today explaining his withdrawal, Kistler attributing it to a worsening unstable Centre County Court environment Subsequent To hus nomination, as well as Ishler’s departure.
The truth?
The nomination was made the evening of Feb 4.
Ishler had effected a long planned retirement the end of January **before** the nomination.
The BoC and Bellefonte police had appointed a special prosecutor (1/20) and served the warrant * (1/24) **Before** the nomination. Kistler probably authorized the warrant and consulted with Glantz & Abom beforehand.
She filed her CCty petition before the nomination.
The hearing in another County which prompted Bellefonte police to return seized articles to the OAG occurred 2/4 **before** the evening announcement.
The BoC hired Fetterhoff to represent Glantz in his personal capacity on 2/3.
The ONLY thing that has occurred since the 2/4 nomination related to the Centre Cty Courthouse has been the BoC has cancelled a couple weekly mtgs and
individuals such as Chris, Steve, Pipes, Miller and others have testified individually before a State Grand Jury. Hardly requires his administrative skill.
So why have no reporters pointed out the dates and time line and ask about the discrepancy that zero has transported in the CC Court system since the evening nomination of 2/4?
Here’s what may be at work. In fact maybe be released his own card. Kistler himself will more likely than not be subpoenaed fo the Statewide GJ, if he hasn’t been already.
There coukd be a worse scandal than a card requiring resignation after confirmation.
For example, Miller alleged he was substantially entangled in the sentencing policy disagreement, carrying water for the BoC. I can see GJ inquiry about tgat as well as the affidavit & any advice about it he proffered the BoC members or Glantz. I doubt Glantz got to the special prosecutor idea on his own. I can see Inquiry about the warrant approval. Direct discussions had with Abom. And so on. & God forbid some of his GJ testimony be leaked to Dem Senators.
Judge Kristler also said that the retirement of the court administrator was a factor. The retirement was in the paper on 1/19/15.
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/01/19/4560839/longtime-centre-county-court-administrator.html
All of these things were known before Wolf’s formal nomination of Kristler.
@JJ in Phila. Per press, the nomination announcement was early evening 2/4.
As I noted since that date there have been zero administrative matters,
or changes of status, or “worsening,”
related to the forgery, the judicial investigation, or the BoC or any other related
matter in the CC Courthouse. Both prominent
& obscure PA press are Asleep at the Wheel.
The only possible change for Kistler since 2/4 could have
been a subpoena for likely completed GJ testimony.
@JJ in Phila. When my long timeline makes it out of mod, you will see we agree there have been no CC Court-based events since his nomination announcement (press article about 7 pm 2/4).
A personal attorney was hired by BoC for Glantz on 2/3. so imo GJ subpoenas went out to him & the BoC just before that date.
The press shoukd point out the time line to him with specificity and ask what he refers to.
If subpoenaed, his likely came at the end of the nomination week, just after.
The press needs to ask if he has been subpoenaed to or appeared at the State Grand Jury
since his nomination. Since SPM alleged a substantial policy conflict with the BoC on sentence reduction & bail, in which Kistler inappropriately embroiled himself imo, I cannot imagine that he was not called to testify
Wonder who his attorney is. Press might ask if he has retained an attorney since the nomination.
excuse me about the warrant.
signed by out of County judge.
referred over iirc by Ruest?
Actually, the press can say, if you are currently involved in the
investigatory events in Centre County, which are being handled only by
a State Grand Jury and the Supreme Court, does that mean you have testified , or will
testify, before that Grand Jury? Or, that you may be called as a witness to
any investigative matter?
You know maybe he wanted on the
SC for his own functional (practical) immunity
for a publically unknown entanglement.
@Rose, the search warrant was signed by Senior Judge Williamson, who is from Clinton County.
@JJ in Phila. I have a coupleong posts in moderation replicating your knfo but adding events ‘& dates (& speculation wrt grand jury.—-
Clayton keeps rewriting this article.
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/23/4617084/kistler-withdraws-name-for-consideration.html
more indirect quotes from Judge K adding nebulous Courthouse gossip.
Late last night I noticed google with regular search terms (ie judge william kistler withdraws nomination) was not throwing up this CDT article. It was not on CDT site newsfeeds either; one had to use the CDT “search.”
Today it “reappeared” on CDT news feed.
However using those google terms, the CDT withdrawal article does not appear in the first 5 pp, tho every other press article does.
I remember there was something The Centre Cty govt IT contractor said a robot text was added to so certain docs
either of tge Court or BoC did not show up in google searches–I don’t remember specifically what. I wonder if CDT uses the same Centre Cty programming & server service and can block specific articles from google search, because I see no other explanation wrt this the first published article, where Kistler was wet around the ears. And would they modify or bury an article at his request because he is their good source for Court-related arties? If so, what else has he leaked to a CDT reporter?
10 reviews of J Kistler on the Bench.
If you click here to go to the full comment, it can be found on the form page at the bottom.
Did not read all. Stopped with the one that said he either sleeps or texts from the bench during trial.
http://www.robeprobe.com/find_judges_result2.php?judge_id=6237&judge_Thomas_King_Kistler
Hope no texts were steamy, because I trust Lunsford told the Judicial whatever he was merely following the culture on the Bench established by the Sr Judge Administrator, see his.
the other person with nebulous ourthouse gossip on 1/20 was Glantz.
Same MO it seems
http://m.wjactv.com/article?id=15205358
Gricar
The only interesting line to me in the above article was Bierly said he was tired of prosecuting or not prosecuting for political reasons.
I am sure Madeira did so and SPM obviousky does not.
So I wondered who could politically influence aDA, even an easy going practical one ready to cut deals, by political power.
Three things come to mind:
1) Commissioners who control his Office budget & agree to execute his Office contracts.
2) President Judge who could make his & his ADAs’ lives administratively miserable. In this case, he also owed D Grine for his hiring & mentoring.
3) endorsements he needed each time he ran for office. local party & its power brokers (ie as Corman is to current Cty Republicans). Public Unions. County police chief.
So, jJ in Phila, were D Grine & Gricar nominal Repubs or Dems? (I know about cross filing).
The big political kahuna in spring 2005 was of course Corbett, newly elected as AG & coming from Waste Management. I’ve just been googling about the power of the NE mob using waste mgment cos. Could be
Corbett did not want to go further up the food chain with V Lee, & Gricar did.
a big waste mgmt kabuna would know some body disappearance resources
http://www.wearecentralpa.com/story/d/story/new-developments-in-district-attorney-case/23526/L4SUkJFbEUuW4cXyRAdrsQ
poetic justice
http://www.centredaily.com/2015/02/24/4619269/benninghoff-hopes-to-fix-ard-law.html
In the interest of disclosure I sent Rep B some info I thought he might found helpful during the 2012 campaign.
Iirc, I let Lee know as well. I was sure he was going to re-offend and he did.
B
@Rose Both were R’s. There is no cross filing for DA. Grine had been the DA, and ran as a R. Gricar never got the Democratic nomination, even on write-ins (SPM did).
Corbett would not have had any involvement in the 2005 Lee case, and LE had just started the investigation of Lee when RFG disappeared.
As for the PDAA, while I agree with the summary of there position, it was not unexpected. The tend to be an “incumbent’s club,” one that tends to support people holding the office. Also, neither the PDAA nor the OAG want other county commissioners to think that they can do this.
Asking a good PA Repub–
In 2005, in Waste Mgmt Corbett’s first year as AG, was Freeh the FBI Dir?
I lose track of time & assume 2005 was in George W era.
Wasn’t this Shutt’s school?
on a plane, can’t check.
“The previous month, Suggs had graduated from Everest University, a for-profit college, with a degree in criminal justice. Her online program, one of many owned by Corinthian Colleges Inc., saddled her with more than $70,000 in debt. ”
Corinthian 15′ Challenge Education Department By Refusing To Repay Federal Student Loans
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/25/corinthian-15-student-loans_n_6739016.html