College entrance cheating scandal

I wouldn't be surprised, if Lori Loughlin gets away with it. History has shown that money heavily weighs the judicial system in your favor. Felicity Huffman may regret pleading guilty. I hope that's not the case, but it wouldn't surprise me.
 
I wouldn't be surprised, if Lori Loughlin gets away with it. History has shown that money heavily weighs the judicial system in your favor. Felicity Huffman may regret pleading guilty. I hope that's not the case, but it wouldn't surprise me.
It's rolling the dice with the legal system really. The biggest problem is that Loughlin hardly comes off as sympathetic, although that's not supposed to factor into any trial. However, it's going to be something that any jurors would hear about. And frankly it's going to be tough for her to try to rebut that what she did wasn't illegal.

Felicity Huffman decided not to take any chances and got off pretty light.
 
I like this New York Times article, linked to below. The whole article is a good read. Particularly the sections I snipped below. It talks about the inequity of sentences given to other people who weren't white or rich.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/us/felicity-huffman-sentencing.html
<snipped section:>​
In the end, a federal judge in Boston sentenced Ms. Huffman to 14 days in a federal prison on Friday. She was the first parent to face punishment in a case in which nearly three dozen wealthy people are accused of using lies and bribes to smooth their children’s way into prestigious colleges.​
Looming over Ms. Huffman’s sentencing were questions about fairness, and whether she and the other mostly white parents in the case would be treated more leniently than poor or nonwhite defendants accused of educational fraud. The issues were emerging in a case that has been seeped with questions of inequity — and well-to-do parents’ efforts not just to guard their advantages, but to grab more.​
The judge’s decision to impose a prison sentence on Ms. Huffman, whom prosecutors saw as one of the least culpable parents, made it more likely that any parents convicted in the case will face at least some prison time, even if the period is brief and largely symbolic.​

The judge’s decision to impose a prison sentence on Ms. Huffman, whom prosecutors saw as one of the least culpable parents, made it more likely that any parents convicted in the case will face at least some prison time, even if the period is brief and largely symbolic.​
In arguing that the parents in this case should go to prison, prosecutors had pointed to examples of defendants like Kelley Williams-Bolar, an African-American single mother in Akron, Ohio, who was sentenced to five years in prison — a sentence later suspended to 10 days in jail, three years of probation and community service — for using her father’s address to get her children into a nearby suburban school district. They also pointed to a group of black public schoolteachers, principals and administrators in Atlanta, who were convicted in a conspiracy to cheat on state tests, some of whom were sentenced to as much as three years in prison.​
“If a poor single mom from Akron who is actually trying to provide a better education for her kids goes to jail, there is no reason that a wealthy, privileged mother with all the legal means available to her should avoid that same fate,” Eric S. Rosen, the lead prosecutor in the case, said in court.​
“If we believe in just punishment,” he added, “we should not put the Williams-Bolars in jail while letting the Huffmans go free.”​
Ms. Huffman’s lawyer, Martin Murphy, argued that most comparable defendants were given probation rather than prison. And he said that, just as Ms. Huffman’s wealth and fame should not lead the judge to impose a lighter sentence, they should not lead her to impose a longer one, either. He had argued in a sentencing memorandum that a term of imprisonment was not needed as a deterrent in Ms. Huffman’s case because she had already suffered considerably, by being publicly shamed, seeing her acting career crater, and facing the anger of both her daughters.​
“It can’t be the case that Ms. Huffman should be treated more harshly because of her financial circumstances and her notoriety,” he said. [. . .]​
<snipped section:>​
"Issues of equity seemed to be very much on Judge Indira Talwani’s mind.​
She told Ms. Huffman that what had outraged people about the admissions scandal was not the revelation that something that was supposed to be a meritocracy was not really one. Everyone already knew that the admissions system was distorted by money and privilege, she said, with wealthy students having numerous advantages over poor ones, including better academic preparation, individualized tutoring and college counseling, access to fancy internships, and basics like food and stable housing.​
People’s outrage, she told Ms. Huffman in the crowded courtroom, was “that in a system of that sort, in that context, that you took the step of obtaining one more advantage to put your child ahead of theirs.”​
She suggested to Ms. Huffman that, in imposing a sentence, she was clearing the slate for her.
After serving her time, she said, Ms. Huffman could move forward and rebuild her life.
'After this, you’ve paid your dues,” she said. “I think without this sentence you would be looking at a future with the community around you asking why you had gotten away with this.'"
I wish people would stop looking at these things as white vs. black instead of rich vs. poor. The latter is much more accurate. Wealthy black people also get away with things all the time. The fact is people who can afford the best lawyers have a major advantage in the judicial system.
 

It's rolling the dice with the legal system really. The biggest problem is that Loughlin hardly comes off as sympathetic, although that's not supposed to factor into any trial. However, it's going to be something that any jurors would hear about. And frankly it's going to be tough for her to try to rebut that what she did wasn't illegal.

Felicity Huffman decided not to take any chances and got off pretty light.
I have a feeling she's going to plead ignorance & may get away with it.
 
I have a feeling she's going to plead ignorance & may get away with it.
The issue is that William Singer has already cooperated and it's going to be pretty difficult to rebut all that evidence.

The really weird thing about it was that at this point nobody in USC's women's rowing program has been fingered as doing anything wrong. An assistant athletic director has been fired. Two women's soccer coaches were fired as well as their water polo head coach. They were in on some of the fraudulent tagged admissions. But strangely enough the rowing program was just taking a few "student-athletes" - allegedly just on the say so of that assistant athletic director.

The couple’s older daughter didn’t row competitively, prosecutors allege in court documents, but Donna Heinel — a senior athletics official at USC whom Singer allegedly paid to shepherd his clients through the admissions process — presented her to the university as a recruited coxswain, accompanied by a picture Giannulli took of her on a rowing machine.​
Coxswains do not row. They are both coach and quarterback in the boat, charged with steering and communicating a game plan to rowers, said Muri, the former coach.​
Giannulli and Loughlin’s daughter was approved by USC’s subcommittee for athletic admissions that same day. The couple then wired $200,000 to Singer’s sham charity, prosecutors allege.​
Heinel was indicted on a racketeering charge and has pleaded not guilty. Her attorney says the allegations came as a shock and that the longtime USC administrator intends to clear her name in court.​
 
The issue is that William Singer has already cooperated and it's going to be pretty difficult to rebut all that evidence.

The really weird thing about it was that at this point nobody in USC's women's rowing program has been fingered as doing anything wrong. An assistant athletic director has been fired. Two women's soccer coaches were fired as well as their water polo head coach. They were in on some of the fraudulent tagged admissions. But strangely enough the rowing program was just taking a few "student-athletes" - allegedly just on the say so of that assistant athletic director.

The couple’s older daughter didn’t row competitively, prosecutors allege in court documents, but Donna Heinel — a senior athletics official at USC whom Singer allegedly paid to shepherd his clients through the admissions process — presented her to the university as a recruited coxswain, accompanied by a picture Giannulli took of her on a rowing machine.​
Coxswains do not row. They are both coach and quarterback in the boat, charged with steering and communicating a game plan to rowers, said Muri, the former coach.​
Giannulli and Loughlin’s daughter was approved by USC’s subcommittee for athletic admissions that same day. The couple then wired $200,000 to Singer’s sham charity, prosecutors allege.​
Heinel was indicted on a racketeering charge and has pleaded not guilty. Her attorney says the allegations came as a shock and that the longtime USC administrator intends to clear her name in court.​
I'm not arguing with you. It just wouldn't surprise me, if their high paid lawyer got them a not guilty verdict. I've seen too many rich people get away with worse crimes to expect anything different.
 
I wish people would stop looking at these things as white vs. black instead of rich vs. poor. The latter is much more accurate. Wealthy black people also get away with things all the time. The fact is people who can afford the best lawyers have a major advantage in the judicial system.

Agreed. OJ LITERALLY got away with murder when a blind woodchuck could see he did it.
 
Agreed. OJ LITERALLY got away with murder when a blind woodchuck could see he did it.
That’s a far different case. It’s far different when there are direct, cooperating witnesses.
 
You read the whole article and THAT is what you are criticizing??? I guess you must have agreed with the content :thumbsup2 since you are nitpicking minuscule typos instead of focusing on the actual content. :thumbsup2
I read that sentence and that error jumped out at me.
eta: I stopped reading at that point. I wouldn't have any idea whether I agree or disagree with the reporter's opinion.


I believe this is free of typos.

https://i.etsystatic.com/10156432/r/il/f807bd/827256039/il_794xN.827256039_niq9.jpg
 
I wish people would stop looking at these things as white vs. black instead of rich vs. poor. The latter is much more accurate. Wealthy black people also get away with things all the time. The fact is people who can afford the best lawyers have a major advantage in the judicial system.
I'm not arguing with you. It just wouldn't surprise me, if their high paid lawyer got them a not guilty verdict. I've seen too many rich people get away with worse crimes to expect anything different.
Agreed. OJ LITERALLY got away with murder when a blind woodchuck could see he did it.
OJ could afford a dream team.

Thank you guys for staying on track to what the article said and actually discussing/debating what you think of content in the article. :thumbsup2

Yes, I haven't read or watched anything on who Lori Loughlin & DH's lawyers are. And if they are any good. But, Lori & DH do have the money to hire whom they think is the best and will give them the best advantage to win.

Likewise, Jussie Smollett in his own case of mail fraud in Chicago, (has nothing to do with this situation,) also hired the best, Mark Garegos, who has a successful record successfully gotten people off, like Michael Jackson. And if Chicago brings charges against Smolett again, he too, has an advantage having Garegos, either getting him off, or negotiating a great plea deal.
 
It's rolling the dice with the legal system really. The biggest problem is that Loughlin hardly comes off as sympathetic, although that's not supposed to factor into any trial. However, it's going to be something that any jurors would hear about. And frankly it's going to be tough for her to try to rebut that what she did wasn't illegal.

Felicity Huffman decided not to take any chances and got off pretty light.
I think she made the right choice knowing that the punishment would not be that extreme. Had she gone the nit gulity route, she would’ve been paying lawyers hundreds of thousands in attorney fees and drag this thing out. I think she just wanted to get it off her chest and admit her guilt and MoveOn. Lori Loughlin’s story is just now starting. And her career is basically on hold indefinitely because of that.
 
I think this means that Felicity Huffman has a shot at acting again. She'll be able to say she accepted what she did and "paid her dues" and eventually people will start hiring her again.

But Lori Loughlin's choice I think is going to make it harder for her to work again. We'll see of course, if she gets off scott free she may be ok, but if she's found guilty I don't think it goes well for her career.
 
I think this means that Felicity Huffman has a shot at acting again. She'll be able to say she accepted what she did and "paid her dues" and eventually people will start hiring her again.

But Lori Loughlin's choice I think is going to make it harder for her to work again. We'll see of course, if she gets off scott free she may be ok, but if she's found guilty I don't think it goes well for her career.

I think Lori’s career may suffer more if she does get off. Going Scott free will not sit well with a lot of people.
 
I think she made the right choice knowing that the punishment would not be that extreme. Had she gone the nit gulity route, she would’ve been paying lawyers hundreds of thousands in attorney fees and drag this thing out. I think she just wanted to get it off her chest and admit her guilt and MoveOn. Lori Loughlin’s story is just now starting. And her career is basically on hold indefinitely because of that.

Loughlin thought that she came off as sympathetic. That was probably part of her plan all along.
 














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