Mossimo Giannulli, the fashion designer husband of former “Fuller House” star Lori Loughlin, got shut down by a federal judge this week. Giannulli’s request to serve out the remainder of his prison sentence for his role in the college admissions scandal at home was denied.

Here’s The Background 

Loughlin and Giannuli each pled guilty last year to charges related to them paying $500,000 in bribe money to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as members of the crew team, even though neither girl had ever rowed before. 

Loughlin was sentenced to two months behind bars and finished her sentence at the end of December. But, Giannulli was sentenced to five months in prison after he was found to be more culpable. 

Related: Lori Loughlin Wants ‘Her Life Back’ After Prison Release – Desperate To Make Hollywood Comeback

He then spent the next 56 days in solitary confinement due to a coronavirus outbreak at the prison. His lawyers tried to argue that two months of suffering in isolation meant that he should be allowed to complete the rest of his sentence at home.

Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, however, was not having any of it. 

Judge Gorton Shuts Giannulli Down

In a court documents obtained by Fox News, Gorton admitted that the conditions that Giannulli was held in during his time in solitary confinement were “more onerous than they would have been but for the pandemic.”

Despite this, he didn’t feel that spending this time in isolation meant that Giannulli should now be allowed to go home and be on house arrest.

“In any event, although defendant’s quarantine was longer than anticipated, he has since been released to the general population and has given no extraordinary or compelling reason why his current circumstances in the camp warrant immediate release,” Gorton wrote in the filing.

The judge went on to say that Giannulli, 57, has “not shown, for instance, that he suffers from any condition which would place him at an increased risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 nor, indeed, that he suffers from any particular medical condition.”

Despite the apparent suffering Giannulli claims to have gone through in isolation, Gorton feels that his five month prison sentence is “appropriate in that it serves…to dissuade and deter others who may, like Giannulli, believe that because they can afford it they can flout the law. Modifying or reducing defendant’s sentence in this case would undercut any such deterrence.”

“Accordingly, this Court will deny defendant’s motion for compassionate release,” he concluded. “If extenuating circumstances occur in the future, the warden can intervene or defendant can file a renewed motion.”

Giannulli’s Experience In Solitary Confinement 

Giannulli was finally let out of solitary confinement sometime last week. And, he was moved to the minimum security section of the prison where he was initially supposed to serve out the entirety of his sentence.

A source close to Giannulli opened up about how difficult the experience of being in isolation was for him. The source also explains why Giannuli was able to get out of solitary confinement.  

“Mossimo had to file an emergency motion to get out of solitary because he had no access to anything while inside,” the source told US Weekly. “He didn’t go outside for almost two weeks; he was denied access to everything other than a shower. That’s why emergency motion happened. He was tested 10 times for COVID before he went in. Mossimo had COVID over the summer but had tested negative before he went in.”

Related: Lori Loughlin Gets Bad News: There’s A Massive COVID Outbreak At Her Prison

Solitary confinement is typically reserved for the most hardened criminals, so it’s unfortunate that someone who committed a non-violent crime like Giannulli’s was subjected to that.

However, we are living in a pandemic, which means prisons are being forced to take precautions that they wouldn’t normally need to take.

One thing is for sure: the judge is right in saying that Giannulli’s situation will certainly deter others from committing similar crimes. 

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