Felicity Huffman gets 14 days in prison in college cheating scandal

[brooklynite]

Source: NBC News

BOSTON — Actress Felicity Huffman, one of the biggest names caught up in a college-admissions scandal that rocked elite universities around the country, was sentenced to 14 days behind bars on Friday for her role in the sweeping scam.

"I am deeply sorry to the students, schools, and universities, that are impacted by my actions," Huffman said while chocking up as she read a prepared statement.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and as a first step for making amends for my crime. I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate."

The one-time Oscar nominee, who came to court holding hands with her actor husband, William H. Macy, will also have to pay a fine of $30,000 and perform 250 hours of community service under the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/felicity-huffman-gets-14-days-prison-college-cheating-scandal-n1054106

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That'll "teach" her...

[TruckFump]

1. IMO, harsh sentence

I say this because she copped a plea and apologized all over the place.

IMO, the judge is doing this to send a message. This woman was a tiny part of a HUGE mess ... and look what she got. Some of the assholes that Mueller busted got sentences like this and they did far worse IMO.

Edit for typo.

[onetexan]

2. yes she is quite remorseful and doesn't deserve to be made an example of. Snotty Loughlin OTOH

isn't remorseful at all and thinks she can get away with it. She is the one who should be made an example of. Not only did she cheat for one daughter, she did for both, and spent a quarter of a mil at that.

I hope Felicity can appeal this and get the prison sentence removed to only probation, fine and community service.

[TruckFump]

3. I totally agree.

Huffman did everything right to get probation and community service. IMO, this was done to send a message to others who were involved. Huffman was a lightweight in all of this.

[julie_truly189]

5. An appeal would kind of make her apology insincere?

If they gave her a year in prison, I could fully understand appealing, but a little incongruous to tearfully tell the judge:

"I take full responsibility for my actions and as a first step for making amends for my crime. I will accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate."

And then say, but if I get even 2 weeks of jail time, I take back my first step for making amends for my crime and no longer accept the punishment you deem appropriate

I agree with the prosecution, with the very wealthy - including white collar criminals - its just money and a little public shaming but the minute you mention jail time, it gets serious. She will do the time in a federal minimum security facility and yes, some of them are more like a community college campus, not a state prison which can be hell holes

[onetexan]

13. yes she was willing to accept whatever sentencing she got, but it is rather harsh given she has

otherwise been a good citizen, and a philanthropist who helps with various community/nonprofit causes.

See this TIME article re: a Stanford coach involved who received no jail time:
https://time.com/5675949/college-admissions-scandal-felicity-huffman-sentencing-prison/

"But legal experts note that Huffman was less involved in the scheme than some parents, and she paid a comparatively small amount of money in a scam where bribes reached $6.5 million. And the first person to be sentenced in the case—a former Stanford sailing coach who allegedly accepted more than $600,000 in bribes that went to the sailing program—also got no prison time. That makes it doubtful Huffman will serve time."

Judging from the fact Huffman's involvement was light compared to the others, she does not deserve to be made an example of. Loughlin and others who committed more egregious crimes in this cheating scandal should be made examples of. IMV she should appeal and a higher court should reduce her sentencing to probation, fees & community service hours.

[imavoter]

23. there's a minimun women's federal prison in Fort Worth

at the Naval Air Station JRB there, in an old air Air Force housing.

Wonder where they'll send her?

[jmowreader]

36. They send you to the closest prison to your hometown

Since she lives in California, FCI Dublin is her destination.

[Rebl2]

6. Not only Loughlin

but her husband as well. They will be wishing they admitted what they did, because I see a much longer sentence in their case.

[BigmanPigman]

14. I expect they will be whistling a different tune tomorrow.

If they don't they are even more stupid than their daughters.

[TruckFump]

18. I am thinking they are looking at 10 years each.

Not sure why I get this feeling, but IMO they are not going to be short timers.

Their attitudes are just so wrong...like they are special and the rules do not apply. Made themselves huge targets.

[Sherman A1]

27. One hopes

That they get the maximum.

[TruckFump]

35. From what I have read and heard

The Feddie guidelines go to 40 years each for all they have done.

Maybe they will finally see they are not so special.

[Sherman A1]

39. I think that's a little light, but

if those are the guidelines, then that is what she should get.

[DrToast]

17. I don't think 14 days is a harsh sentence

It was because she was contrite and made a deal that she only got 14 days. She would have gotten a lot more if she fought it and lost.

[Sherman A1]

25. Agreed

2 weeks isn’t exactly a huge price to pay and it does send a message.

[FM123]

4. So Huffman got 14 days for paying $15K to the college admissions folks...

So I guess that means one day (give or take a few hours) in jail per every $10K she spent to cheat the system. I wonder how many days Loughlin going to serve? She paid out a half a million dollars for daughters...

[Igel]

9. More like $1k/day.

Order of magnitude off.

[FM123]

15. Oops, typo!

(or could be just hungry-o)

[Mosby]

12. How many days in jail did the "college admission folks" get?

[DrToast]

16. I've heard 6 months for Aunt Becky

That seems to be what the talking heads are saying if she’s convicted, which she probably will be.

[flotsam]

7. If I read the charge right

...the penalty is 20 years and 250K in fines. Tell me about how unfair this one is when I see 3 strike convictions over stealing lunch from a convenience store or dying for selling cigarette onesies? Perhaps if they slapped her with 5 years people who buy their way through life might say "Oh Shit".

[SallyHemmings]

31. Yeah Boo @#$ing who

She will be leave in 14 days and return to her mansion.

How many folks are sentenced for carrying small amounts of marijuana and can’t get a livable wage job?

I wonder how her daughter feels? Yeah baby, you aren’t smart enough to get in the college I insist you get into.

There will be more than 14 sessions to repair that damage.

[Raven]

8. Little harm done, says the judge...what about the kid on the list that didn't get in

because Huffman cheated that student out of a space? What about that? I think the sentence was a disgrace.

[Igel]

10. No individual was harmed.

That's the claim in other contexts.

It lowered the odds by a very small number for a lot of kids, but nobody was actually hurt and so nobody has standing (in many jurisdictions) to bring a legal challenge. Moreover, the students almost certainly met minimum requirements for admission.

[Raven]

11. So you're telling me that nobody didn't get into that school

because Huffman's daughter filled a slot she shouldn't have? If I'm the kid who was qualified but didn't get in, I'd wonder.

[McKim]

19. Rather a Slap on the Wrist

I think it is just a slap on the wrist for the damage that she did to someone who did NOT get admitted when her little special darling got in instead. This is lip service to the idea that this country is a meritocracy. I guess if you are a pretty film star you can get away with anything.
She deserves to serve some substantial time.

[YOHABLO]

20. These are just the ''elite'' parents that got caught.

[Sherman A1]

26. Precisely

Two weeks is a slap on the wrist.

[Polybius]

21. How many days did George HW Bush get in jail for getting W into Yale?

I'm sure he made a nice "donation" to the school.

[jmowreader]

22. GWB was a legacy admission

They've tightened things up quite a bit, but when GWB was college age legacies - the children of graduates - were pretty much guaranteed admission.

[Botany]

28. How about Trump "getting into" the University of Penn after he allegedly flunked out of .....

... Fordham?

[Raine]

24. So the public is supposed to feel real good because

someone is being punished. Meanwhile the high ups at the university who knew about this going on get to go scott free and continue on with a rotten unfair system.

[Captain Stern]

29. I wish she'd been given zero days in jail, but a much bigger fine.

What's the point of putting her in jail for fourteen days? What does that accomplish?

OK...she's somewhat miserable for two weeks...so, what?

As wrong as she was in what she did, she's not a threat to anybody else. I wouldn't feel endangered knowing she was still walking the streets among us.

But, after she does her two weeks, her life is going to be exactly the same as it was before this. I don't think that's going to deter anyone else from doing the same thing. It's just not that high a price to pay.

Blue collar criminals do what they do for money. I think the penalties should reflect that. They don't belong in prison any more than drug users do. But, they should be hammered in fines. They committed their crimes for money, so that's what they should lose..... lots of it.

[flotsam]

32. "Pour encourager les autres"

The phrase is found in the famous (and actually historical) scene of the execution of a British admiral, John Byng, on the deck of his own ship, for allegedly failing to engage the enemy in the Battle of Minorca. Voltaire adds of this:

“Dans ce pays-ci, il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres.” (“In this country, it is wise to kill an admiral from time to time so to encourage the others.”)

[Brainfodder]

38. I agree, 2M + a national TV apology!

Humiliation is a good CHEAP deterrent?

Have that 2M pay for 2.5 smart but poor students to become doctors.

[Chemisse]

30. I think this is fine and an important signal to the other, far worse offenders.

My only misgiving is that it is nothing compared to that poor black woman who is in prison for sending her child to the wrong school district. She should be released immediately.

[Kurt V.]

33. I'm not concerned about her short sentence as i am about long sentences for much less.

[bearsfootball516]

34. Sounds about white.

[Mosby]

37. How many university employees are going to jail?

For taking bribes?

Fucking Zero.