The tense, emotional moment struck some as overstated considering Mendte's sentence: six months of house arrest.
Lane said nothing - in court or later - about the events that led to her Jan. 1 firing, though she submitted a confidential victim-impact statement to the judge.
Mendte's "public confession" comment referred to the unusual news conference he held after pleading guilty in August to a felony charge of hacking into Lane's e-mail accounts. He went before the cameras and said he had had a "flirtatious, unprofessional and improper relationship" with Lane.
Mendte, who is married to Fox29 anchor Dawn Stensland, said his once-close relationship with Lane turned into a "personal feud" after Stensland confronted him about Lane on New Year's Day 2005 and he told her the truth.
When he began distancing himself, Mendte said, Lane became angry and tried to undermine his standing with station management.
At the time of Mendte's public announcement, Lane's attorney, Paul Rosen, called his statement an attempt to "blame the victim" and threatened to sue if Mendte suggested that he and Lane had had an affair.
Rosen has filed suit for Lane against Mendte and CBS3, as well as the Philadelphia Daily News and columnist Dan Gross for their purported roles in spreading information Mendte leaked to them. The Daily News is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings L.L.C., which also publishes The Inquirer.
Rosen said after yesterday's hearing that he was pleased with the sentence because "it did 100 percent of what the court could do. He'll be under constant government supervision. She was real serious and made it clear that he did harm to a victim. It's a fair sentence and sends a message to future generations."
