STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - Lawyers for Jerry Sandusky's victims say that talks with Penn State have been productive, and they hope to reach settlements within a month.
Penn State's negotiating team led by Attorney Ken Feinberg, has acknowledged that they've talked with 28 different people about settlements.
Their hope is they can agree on a dollar amount with each victim, and avoid going to civil court.
We spoke to the lawyers for victim's one and four. Both say that they're "Cautiously Optimistic" that they'll get settlements done.
But if they don't agree on the money soon, they say they'll push for a trial in civil court,
Michael Boni represents, Aaron Fisher, known as victim number one. He says the settlement is the next step for Fisher to heal. The first was seeing Jerry Sandusky sent behind bars. He thinks a deal with Penn State will get done sooner rather than later.
"By the end of February we'll know something, we'll know whether Penn State is willing to meet the demand that we have for victim one."
Boni says that he's talked with other lawyers, but won't say what about. Ben Anderozzi, The lawyer for victim number four and other unnamed victims says he's not sure if there's a confidentiality agreement between the different attorney's holding them back from talking about dollar amounts or when claims have been settled.
"...It's possible that some of the other lawyers have settled their cases, I don't know."
Both attorneys have filed lawsuits against Penn State. but the courts issued a stay, which freezes all civil trials against Penn state until the criminal trials of Gary Schultz, Tim Curley, and graham spanier play out. If settlements haven't been reached by the time their trials are done, then they can move forward in civil court.
Boni says he's just being prepared, and expects to get a deal done soon.
"I would say that the parties are reasonably close"
Boni says getting justice for victims like Fisher, mean Penn State has to face consequences, off the football field.
"...The fact that Penn State to date has been punished only by the NCAA in connection to it's football program will now own up to its responsibility in this tragedy..."
Andreozzi says there is a little confusion about what would be the official end of the criminal trials of Curley, Schultz and Spanier. A conviction? Sentencing? The end of an appeals process? But he says he won't look into it unless settlements for all his clients don't get done.
