Joe Paterno's family releases will

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) Joe Paterno's will left his personal property to wife Sue and established a trust for the remainder of his estate.

The documents released by the family Thursday to The Associated Press include the original seven-page will filed in 1997. The material didn't state how much Paterno or his estate were worth.
The Hall of Fame football coach died of cancer in January at age 85, less than three months after being ousted by university trustees in November as part of the fallout over the arrest of retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on child sex abuse charges. The family released the will the same day Sandusky's trial wrapped up its first week in Centre County court.
The (Wilkes-Barre) Citizens' Voice reported Sunday that Paterno's will had been sealed by a county judge in April upon request of the estate.
''The request was entirely appropriate and totally consistent with the actions of other prominent individuals,'' the family said in a statement issued through a spokesman. ''The only objective was to preserve a measure of privacy for Sue Paterno, their five children, 17 grandchildren and other family members.
''In an effort to ensure maximum transparency and eliminate unfounded speculation, the family has decided to make the will publicly available,'' the family added. They said they would petition the court to unseal all future filings.
Sue Paterno was named ''personal representative'' of the will. The family also released a two-page codicil - or amendment - filed in 2010 that named the Paternos' daughters, Mary Kay and Diana, in that order, as the personal representatives if their mother was unable to do so.
There is a ''clamor of transparency'' anytime public documents are sealed without cause or explanation, said Larry Holeva, managing editor of the Citizens Voice and the (Hazleton) Standard-Speaker. ''This wasn't about Joe Paterno, simply about ensuring that public documents remain public.''
Paterno began working at Penn State as an assistant coach in 1950 before being promoted to head coach in 1966. He held Division I records for head-coaching tenure at one school and career victories, with 409.
He typically shied away from media questions about his salary and compensation. But the university was compelled to release his salary in 2007 after losing an open records lawsuit.
The school's 2011 filing valued Paterno's compensation at just more than $1 million - a veritable bargain for a coach with two national championships on his resume. Alabama's Nick Saban, for instance, makes more than $5 million a year.
Paterno's family last month released details of his state pension, valued at $13.4 million for his 61-year career at Penn State. At the same time, the family also said last month it planned to donate $1.5 million to Penn State-related and State College-area charities.
The university in April announced it had agreed to provide millions in payments and benefits to Paterno's estate and family under the late coach's employment contract. Included were four checks worth a total of more than $3 million to cover the season, bowl game and entire career, the university said. Despite the payout, the Paternos did not sign away their right to sue, the family's lawyer said.

Jury orders 'Pacman' Jones to pay $11 million

LAS VEGAS (AP) Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam ''Pacman'' Jones must pay $11 million in damages to two Las Vegas strip club employees injured in 2007 when a lone gunman claiming he was doing Jones' bidding opened fire outside the club.

Tommy Urbanski, a club manager who was left paralyzed from the waist down, and Aaron Cudworth, a bouncer who was wounded, stand to collect after the late Friday verdict. Urbanksi's bones were shattered in the shooting that occurred after Jones and several other people were ejected from the club. The shooter later demanded $15,000 from Jones for ''services rendered.''
Jones' lawyer, Lisa Rasmussen, said there is no evidence Jones was behind the shooting. She said Jones, who has played five years in the NFL, didn't have the cash to cover the award because he won't receive his first paycheck of the season until September. Rasmussen plans to appeal the verdict.
''It's obviously a devastating amount for him financially,'' Rasmussen said. ''He has really worked hard to make a comeback with his NFL career.''
She said the jury in the civil case was likely swayed by the sympathetic sight of Urbanski in his wheelchair and Jones' celebrity.
''People perceive him as a person who is able to pay $11 million,'' she said. ''Adam doesn't even get paid until he plays his first game.''
Cudworth's lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, declared the verdict fair, saying the bouncer continues to grapple with ''constant pain from being shot in the chest and arm.'' Cudworth was awarded $1.3 million, including $300,000 in punitive damages. The verdict was first reported by the celebrity website TMZ.
''I am pleased that Mr. Jones has finally been held accountable,'' Schonfeld said, adding that his client ''is pleased to have closure.''
Schonfeld said he wasn't worried about an appeal or Jones' alleged inability to pay the award.
''If he is making money, I am going to be there trying to collect,'' Schonfeld said.
Urbanski said by telephone Friday evening that he believes the verdict will send a message to athletes and celebrities that they can be held responsible for public ''rampaging,'' even if they escape criminal charges.
''They've got to clean up their acts,'' he said. ''All of them.''
Jones was not in court when the verdict came down. Rasmussen said he was attending mandatory training in Cincinnati.
The Bengals re-signed Jones in March for a third season. His one-year contract is reportedly worth $950,000, including incentives. Rasmussen said Jones' salary will be distributed in 16 checks throughout the season and he only collects if he is healthy enough to play.
Jones was sidelined with a neck injury last season, but still played in eight games, including the last seven as a starter. He had 31 tackles.
This is the latest legal setback for Jones, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in January after he was accused of shouting profanities and trying to pull away as officers arrested him at a downtown Cincinnati bar last year. Jones received a year of probation and community service.
The Las Vegas case stems from a shooting after a strip club brawl on NBA All-Star weekend in February 2007. Police alleged Jones incited the fight by throwing wads of dollar bills toward a stage, then becoming angry when the dancers picked up the money.
Jones and his entourage were removed from the club, and police claimed Jones met briefly with the accused shooter, Arvin Kenti Edwards, before Edwards opened fire.
Jones denied having a role in the shooting. He pleaded an equivalent of no contest to misdemeanor conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct.
Edwards is serving four to 10 years in prison for his so-called Alford plea to attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon. The plea is not an admission of guilt, but acknowledges that prosecutors could have proven the case against him.
''We always maintained that there was never any direct communication between Adam Jones and the actual shooter,'' Rasmussen said.
Jones is slated to speak about his legal challenges at the NFL rookie symposium next week.
''It's something he has been going through for five years and it has devastated him on many levels,'' Rasmussen said of the Las Vegas shooting. ''Hopefully he will be able to go on and focus on football.''

Indonesian man sentenced to 30 months in prison for making athiest comments on Facebook

Given that the phenomenon of Facebook and social media are relatively new, it's somewhat excusable for courts of law to be unsure how to proceed with regard to matters involving human interaction on the site. That said, there are few supporting an Indonesian court's latest act: A 30-year-old man was sentenced to 30 months of prison and a $10,600 fine for posting pro-atheist and anti-Islam comments on Facebook.
Alexander Aan was charged with posting cartoons of the prophet Mohammed to an atheist Facebook group and for making statements including, "If God exists, then why do bad things happen?" The comments Aan made wound up inciting an angry mob to seek him out and severely beat him. Aan was arrested by police for his own protection.
Since then, Aan has been charged and convincted of "disseminating information aimed at inciting religious hatred or hostility." Amnesty International is calling for Aan's release, branding his conviction "a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia, and [a violation of] Indonesia's obligations under international law."