The wait is finally over for former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman as she learned her fate Friday, having officially been sentenced after pleading guilty in the college admissions scandal that rocked Hollywood earlier this year.
The actress arrived around 1:45 p.m. with her husband, William H. Macy, for her 2:30 p.m. appointment in front of Judge Indira Talawani in a Boston, Massachusetts courtroom. The sentencing fell on a rare Friday the 13th that coincided with a full moon, which appeared to not exactly work in her favor as she received the sentence of 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, plus community service.
Prior to announcing Huffman’s sentence, Judge Talawani mentioned the actress had accepted responsibility for the crime and doesn’t have a criminal past. Prosecutors made it clear they wanted Huffman to serve the maximum of one month in jail while the defense asked for probation, 250 hours of community service, and a $20,000 fine.
The defense also claimed Huffman has suffered already, remarking that a place she wanted to do community service has already withdrawn their support. Huffman spoke up in her own defense and got emotional while sharing how sorry she is.
Huffman also admitted that her daughter asked her why she did it. “I have inflicted more damage than I could’ve ever imagined,” she said. She ended by saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions…I am prepared to accept whatever sentence you deem fit.”
Unlike others caught up in the Varsity Blues scandal, Huffman took responsibility for her actions. In addition to that, the judge received letters of support from her Desperate Housewives co-workers like Eva Longoria and show creator, Marc Cherry.
All this drama began on March 12 after the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts charged over 50 people, including Huffman and Fuller House actress Lori Loughlin, in the scandal.
Huffman herself was accused of paying $15,000 to an admissions consultant named Rick Singer, who then helped Huffman’s daughter, Sophia, cheat on her SAT. Ahead of her sentencing, Huffman released a letter apologizing for her wrongdoing and revealed why she decided to commit the crime.
“I talked myself into believing that all I was doing was giving my daughter a fair shot. I see the irony in that statement now because what I have done is the opposite of fair. I have broken the law, deceived the educational community, betrayed my daughter and failed my family,” she shared.
“When my daughter looked at me and asked me with tears streaming down her face, ‘Why didn’t you believe in me? Why didn’t you think I could do it on my own?’ I had no adequate answer for her.”
While Huffman received a 14-day sentence, prosecutors did reveal the sentencing they were seeking for her is not close to what they are seeking for others. What did you think of the sentencing? Is it what you expected? Let us know in the comments section below.
Video Credit: Law&Order:SVU
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