I don't think that Penn State is going to get the death penalty

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. That's a nice thought

But it won't happen. All the potential litigants have an interest in bottling the ends - PSU to make it go away quickly, the plaintiffs to get their awards in a timely manner. Nobody is going to drag litigation on this thing out for years as a matter of principle. I also don't think you'll get the dozens or hundreds of potential plaintiffs that some people here imagine. I don't doubt that there are that many victims, mind you, but there will be far fewer who come forward with actual standing. Some not on the criminal charges will be accepted into the class, but it's not going to get much bigger, and pre-2001 victims have a much weaker case against the institution. So, despite much of the hyperbole you'll see here, this thing will be settled inside of the next year, in a class action agreement. The notion that very public litigation will be waged in court over this matter is simply a non-starter. People can dream about it, but it's not going to happen.