Former Penn St. president wins lawsuit delay

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania judge is granting former Penn State president Graham Spanier's request to put on hold his defamation civil lawsuit against former FBI director Louis Freeh and Freeh's law firm.

Judge Jonathan Grine on Tuesday issued a stay in the case, citing as a factor the criminal charges that Spanier faces for an alleged cover-up of complaints about retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Grine says Spanier would otherwise be faced with a decision about whether to testify in the civil case and potentially jeopardize his criminal defense.

Freeh produced a report on the Sandusky matter for Penn State in 2012 that was highly critical of Spanier. He had opposed the delay.

Spanier has filed paperwork initiating the lawsuit but not a complaint that details his claims.