STATE COLLEGE, Pa. The son of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno issued a statement on his father’s behalf Friday, indicating that Paterno has hired an attorney.

Scott Paterno said in a statement that he retained Wick Sollers of the King & Spalding law firm.

‘On behalf of my father, I have retained Wick Sollers at the law firm of King and Spalding,’ Scott Paterno said. ‘My father’s desire is for the truth to be uncovered, and he will work with his lawyers to that end.

Scott Paterno said his father asked him to make a short statement on his behalf.

‘Like everyone who has watched this story unfold, my father is experiencing a range of powerful emotions,’ Scott Paterno said in the statement. ‘He is absolutely distraught over what happened to the children and their families. He also wants very much to speak publicly and answer questions.

‘At this stage, however, he has no choice but to be patient and defer to the legal process,’ he said. ‘He cooperated fully with the grand jury and he will continue to cooperate with the investigation as we move forward.

‘ … Going forward, Mr. Sollers has directed my father, our family and everyone associated with us to make no further public statements and to respond to no media inquiries. We will honor this request. Accordingly, all requests for comments or other information should be directed to Mr. Sollers,’ Scott Paterno said.

As of Friday, there have been no charges filed against Joe Paterno in the fallout of the sex abuse scandal involving former PSU assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing young boys, and his attorney said that Sandusky maintains his innocence and denies the charges.

mjcohe02@syr.edu

Published on November 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Michael: mjcohe02@syr.edu | @Michael_Cohen13