It’s Tough to Know How We Should Plead

Absent any controlling NCAA or Penn State regulation, that Joe Paterno [“Jury’s Out,” Aug. 24] chooses to rely on the basic premise of our criminal justice system (an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty) is not only totally appropriate but also in no way contravenes any ethical concept.

Chris Dufresne’s article impugns Mr. Paterno by implying his decision may be motivated by a desire to break Bear Bryant’s record for wins. This unsupported suggestion is far more questionable as a possible journalistic ethical transgression than Mr. Paterno’s actions.

As it stands, the jury is out on Dufresne’s motive.

JACK DAHLSTRUM

Newport Beach

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I had a dream: USC won the football national championship for 2000 and Carson Palmer, while still in college, was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Then suddenly I realized it wasn’t a dream after all: I had been reading the sports section of the Los Angeles Times and the season hadn’t even started.

HOWARD GREEN

Los Angeles