John Burkoff on Possible Conflict of Interest of Judge Setting Bail in Penn State Case

With Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State coach accused of sexually assaulting young boys, out on bail, observers have been surprised to find that the judge who set bail had connections to The Second Mile, Sandusky's charity.  The judge had been both a Second Mile volunteer and a donor, and the organization's chairman held two fundraisers for the judge's campaign for office.  Professor John Burkoff said that though such conflicts are not unusual, but “[w]hat makes this one uncommon is the amount of public attention and national scrutiny.”