WANTS TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCES TO EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THIS
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY. YOU ARE LOOKING AT LIVE PICTURES
FROM BOSTON WHERE FELICITY
HUFFMAN IS LEAVING COURT AFTER
SHE WAS SENTENCED TO 14 DAYS FOR
HER ROLE IN THE COLLEGE
ADMISSION SCANDAL.
ADMISSION SCANDAL. HUFFMAN IS BEING ORDERED TO PAY
A $30,000 FINE, DO 250 HOURS OF
COMMUNITY SERVICE.
COMMUNITY SERVICE. RON ALLEN IS LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE
COURTROOM.
COURTROOM. RON, CAN YOU RUN US THROUGH WHAT
HAPPENED IN THERE TODAY?
>> YOU SEE ALL THIS AREA
SETTLING DOWN AND PEOPLE GOING
BACK TOWARDS THE COURTHOUSE.
THE BIG ENTOURAGE OF A COUPLE
DOZEN PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT, SHE
WAS WALKING STRAIGHT -- LOOKING
STRAIGHT AHEAD.
STRAIGHT AHEAD. SAID NOTHING.
SAID NOTHING. JUST DISAPPEARED INTO A BIG
BLACK SUV AND OFF INTO BOSTON
SOMEWHERE.
SOMEWHERE. SHE HAS SIX WEEKS TO REPORT TO A
FACILITY.
FACILITY. WE BELIEVE IT’S A FACILITY, A
MINIMUM SECURITY PRISON IN
CALIFORNIA.
CALIFORNIA. I’M NOT SURE HOW CLOSE IT IS TO
WHERE SHE LIVES.
DEFENSE REQUESTED THAT.
SHE HAS WHAT SHE WAS SENTENCED,
FROM WHAT WE UNDERSTAND, SHE
REMAINED COMPOSED.
REMAINED COMPOSED. SHE DID NOT CRY.
HER HUSBAND DID NOT REACT.
HE WAS ALSO QUITE STOIC WHEN SHE
WAS SENTENCED.
WAS SENTENCED. SHE WAS STARING DOWN.
THE JUDGE SAID SOMETHING TO
AFFECT OF, GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE
NOW.
NOW. YOU WILL GET PAST THIS.
CLEARLY, THE JUDGE WAS TRYING TO
SEND A MESSAGE OF 14 DAYS IN
PRISON.
PRISON. PROSECUTION WANTED A MONTH.
THE DEFENSE BEGGED -- PLEADED
FOR LENIENCY SAYING THAT NOBODY
WAS HARMED BY THIS.
BUT APPARENTLY, CLEARLY, THE
JUDGE DID NOT SEE IT THAT WAY.
>> RON, HUFFMAN RELEASED A
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE’S BEEN
CONTRITE AND APOLOGETIC SAYING
SHE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO
COMMUNITY SERVICE AND WANTS TO
DO MORE BEYOND THAT.
WHAT ELSE DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT
SHE SAID IN THERE?
>> SHE WAS VERY CONTRITE.
SHE HAS BEEN SINCE SHE PLEADED
GUILTY TO THIS.
ONE OF THE LINES THAT JUMPED OUT
TO ME FROM HER STATEMENT WAS SHE
SAID AT ONE POINT HER DAUGHTER
SAID TO HER, I DON’T RECOGNIZE
YOU ANYMORE.
YOU ANYMORE. WHO ARE YOU?
THAT SHE SAID REALLY HURT HER
DEEPLY.
DEEPLY. WHAT IRONY, SHE WAS TRYING TO
HELP HER DAUGHTER AND HER
DAUGHTER FELT BETRAYED.
DEVASTATING.
DEVASTATING. SEVERAL POINTS DURING THE
SENTENCE, THE PROSECUTION WAS
LECTURING HUFFMAN ABOUT HOW TO
BE A PARENT SAYING THAT A PARENT
HAS A MORAL COMPASS AND TRYING
TO BE A GOOD PARENT IS NOT AN
EXCUSE FOR WHAT HAPPENED AND
THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE.
THIS IS A CONSCIOUS DECISION SHE
MADE.
MADE. THIS DECISION WILL REVERBERATE
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE
THERE ARE AS MANY AS 50 MORE
PEOPLE CHARGED IN THIS CASE.
HALF OF THEM HAVE PLEADED
GUILTY.
GUILTY. HALF OF THEM WERE SAYING THEY
WANTED TO GO TO TRIAL.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE WILL BE
STUNNED THAT THIS WOMAN IS GOING
TO PRISON.
TO PRISON. THE JUDGE SENTENCED HER AS SUCH.
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE LIKE
LORI LOUGHLIN, HER HUSBAND, WHO
ARE FACING MANY, MANY -- 40
YEARS IN JAIL IN HER CASE
BECAUSE THEIR CASE -- THEIR CASE
INVOLVES A PAYMENT OF HALF A
MILLION DOLLARS.
MILLION DOLLARS. THIS WAS JUST $15,000 FOR ONE
TEST.
TEST. >> YOU HAVE TO WONDER WHAT MAY
HAPPEN TO THEM.
WE WERE TALKING EARLIER.
FELICITY HUFFMAN RAN TO THE
COURT QUICKLY TO PLEAD GUILTY.
THAT WORKED IN HER FAVOR.
THE OTHER HAND, LORI LOUGHLIN
AND HER HUSBAND ARE ROLLING THE
DICE, WILLING TO GO TO TRIAL.
THEIR FATE COULD BE WORSE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YOU WONDER HOW ARE THEY GOING TO
SEE THIS SORT OF THING?
IT CUTS MANY WAYS.
YOUR CASE IS SIMILAR TO HERS.
YOU MAY FEEL THIS IS THE
SENTENCE YOU GET, COMMUNITY
SERVICE, A COUPLE WEEKS IN
PRISON.
PRISON. IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRIAL, YOU
NOW SEE -- WHAT SEEMS TO BE
HAPPENING -- I’M NOT A LAWYER.
THE JUDGE SEEMS TO BE CLEARLY
SAYING THAT THERE WAS
CRIMINALITY HERE.
CRIMINALITY HERE. SHE SAID, I’M GOING TO IMPOSE
COMMUNITY SERVICE.
COMMUNITY SERVICE. SHE SAID, I’M GOING TO TURN TO
PUNISHMENT.
PUNISHMENT. CLEARLY, SHE FELT THERE WAS A
NEED FOR PUNISHMENT.
THAT’S WHERE THE PRISON SENTENCE
CAME UP.
CAME UP. SHE WAS CLEARLY TRYING TO SAY
THAT.
THAT. IF OTHER JUDGES IN OTHER CASES
SEE THAT, CLEARLY, THAT’S WHAT
PEOPLE WHO ARE CHARGED IN THIS
CASE, WHO ARE TRYING TO ROLL THE
DICE, AS YOU PUT IT, WILL FIND
OUT IN COURT, THEY PROBABLY ARE
PRETTY AWARE THAT THIS COULD
LEAD TO A JAIL TERM.
THERE ARE MANY -- THE JUDGE MADE
A POINT HER CASE WAS ONE OF THE
LESSER CASES.
LESSER CASES. THERE ARE MANY MORE SERIOUS
CASES OUT THERE.
THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN
DISMISSED FROM SEVERAL ELITE
UNIVERSITIES.
UNIVERSITIES. THERE ARE MANY MORE OF THEM WHO
ARE STILL GOING THROUGH A
PROCESS ON THE CAMPUSES.
THEIR SITUATION IS IN LIMBO.
HUFFMAN WAS THE FIRST PARENT TO
BE CHARGED, TO BE SENTENCED.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE
REVERBERATIONS AROUND THE
COUNTRY AFTER WHAT HAPPENED HERE
TODAY IN BOSTON.
>> RON ALLEN OUTSIDE THE BOSTON
COURTROOM WHERE FELICITY HUFFMAN
WAS SENTENCED TO 14 DAYS IN