Actress Lori Loughlin of “Fuller House” fame and her husband Mossimo Giannulli went before a judge on Tuesday in a Boston court for a hearing related to their charges in the college admissions scandal.
Judge Grills Loughlin About Drinking And Drugs
Daily Mail reported Loughlin and Giannulli remained stone-faced as a judge grilled them about their drinking and drug use. The couple has decided to maintain a united front and share their lawyers, even though it could be to their detriment. Magistrate Judge Page Kelly needed to ask them questions about their drinking and drug use to make sure their judgment was not impaired in making this decision. In addition, the judge asked if either of them had any psychological issues that could impair their ability to understand the risks of having dual legal representation, but both responded that they had no problems of the sort.
Judge Issues Warning To Loughlin And Giannulli
The judge also warned Loughlin and Giannulli of the dangers of sharing lawyers as well as the conflict of interest it presents. She explained to the couple that the only way to get the best legal advice is if the attorney is loyal “to you and you alone.” Nevertheless, Loughlin and Giannulli ignored the judge’s advice and waived their rights to having separate attorneys, which means they will keep their shared legal team led by William Trach.
RELATED: Lori Loughlin And Husband Waived Right To Separate Representation
The judge then allowed the couple to keep using the law firm Latham & Watkins, even though it recently represented University of Southern California in an unrelated case. Kelly ended up ruling that there was no conflict of interest presented by this.
Loughlin and Giannulli are each facing over 20 years in jail if they are convicted of charges that include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, honest services fraud, and money laundering. The charges relate to accusations that the couple paid $500,000 in bribe money to have their two daughters admitted to USC as members of the crew team, even though neither girl had ever rowed. In the hearing, Trach previewed the couple’s defense, which will be that they thought the $500,000 was a donation to the school and not a bribe.
RELATED: Lori Loughlin Just ‘Obsessing’ Over College Admissions Scandal
Loughlin And Giannulli Fly Home On Private Jet
Hours after the hearing, Loughlin and Giannulli were all smiles as they landed back in Los Angeles, California on a private jet. They look awfully carefree in the photos for two people facing decades behind bars.
Right from the start, Loughlin and Giannulli have been acting like they are above the law in this case and ignored the logical advice of others. They should have taken the plea deal that other parents took, including Felicity Huffman, that would only put them in jail for a few months. However, Loughlin and Giannulli were far too cocky in assuming that they would beat the charges, which has now put them in the position of facing decades in prison if they lose in court.
Now, they are defying logic once again by keeping the same lawyers even though it could hurt them in the long run. It’s becoming abundantly clear to many that prison may indeed be the best place for Loughlin and Giannulli. That might be the only thing that can truly show them that they are not above the law after all.
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