Lori Loughlin Sentencing Could Be Affected By Certain Factors, What Are They?

She won’t learn her fate until August as she officially learns her sentence now that she has pleaded guilty in the college admission scam, but one legal expert thinks that if Lori Loughlin hopes to avoid any time in prison, she may need to think twice.

According to Michael Zweiback, a founding partner of law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, both Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, will likely face the prison time they agreed to in their plea deals, because if they don’t go to jail, there would likely be a public outcry that the pair received preferential treatment because of their celebrity status.

“If the court accepts the deal, I fully expect they will serve jail time,” he told Fox News. “If they do not serve time, then the outcry will be that they did receive preferential treatment. Especially given that other defendants in this case have served time in prison. The court has the ability to make it clear in the order that the Bureau of Prisons should not release them to home confinement.”

The idea that Giannulli and Loughlin, who entered pleas that would see them serving five months and two months in prison respectively, wouldn’t serve prison time came after reports that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that they could be kept out of jail due to the issues many have faced with the illness spreading amongst staff and prisoners.

“States that have been particularly hard-hit by COVID—and California is definitely one of them—are absolutely keeping a close eye on the prison population and are considering ways to reduce the number of incoming prisoners wherever possible, particularly for nonviolent offenders,” a source told People, indicating it wouldn’t be a surprise if the couple argued for either house arrest or suspended sentences pending a vaccine.

However, in a statement following the couple’s pleas, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling indicated that the couple will face prison time no matter what.

“Under the plea agreements filed today, these defendants will serve prison terms reflecting their respective roles in a conspiracy to corrupt the college admissions process and which are consistent with prior sentences in this case,” he said. “We will continue to pursue accountability for undermining the integrity of college admissions.”