The Shepard News Today

Trace is correct. the bribe is the same if you bribe someone with 15,000 or $500,000 but the judge has the option to increase the sentence significantly because of the vast difference in the amount of money and the $500,000 instance. >> shepard: taken in the aggregate here, what is your take on what were seeing, the way its playing out, what the future may look like? >> we have a very aggressive donald trump appointed u.s. attorney who believed he had stumbled on the tip of an iceberg of endemic...

Probation. that wasnt a lot of money in stake. it was in the world of fraud a small fraud. not to say what she did wasnt morally reprehensible and unlikely to land her in prison. >> shepard: when i heard the federal government was asking for one month and last time the prosecution asked for 11 months and the defendant got a month. >> when you ask for a month you have to feel ashamed. what are you take case where you want somebody to go to jail for 30 days. thats a case you see in misdemeanor cou...

If not this way. >> the rich and famous pay to get their kids to college every day. colleges want donors and want rich parents to send their kids to school and get lots of money. its clear if the huffman spent millions donating to the alumni fund, their daughter probably would have gotten in that way. this is a whole rage of behavior that probably doesnt deserve federal scrutiny. >> shepard: its been my experience that no matter what you give if you dont have the math grades at the minimum of an...

Your, honor and that was that. should she in your estimation come forward and say something now or have another moment of contrition or what would be your advice? >> i dont think the press conference thing is appropriate at all. it opens up a whole pandoras box. release a statement. do the time. quickly do it and if she chooses she will have an opportunity to be cast in probably some pretty good roles. >> shepard: were expecting felicity huffman and others to walk through the doors in a moment. ...

Month and a half. >> shepard: the judge said im imposing a $30,000 fine and one-year probation, 250 hours of community service and 14 days in prison. thats the sentness i think is the -- sentence is the write sentence and said for her rehabilitation you can move forward without the sentence i think the community around you would ask why you got away with this. judge napolitano thoughts on that? >> its a little heavier thane expected but the rationale was right on the mark expresses the community...

Months. >> yes, if theyve gone the plea route. the judge determined one of the ways we get to a sentence is the monetary issue and there was no real loss by the universities and that will change the calculations will effect how defendants like laurie laughlin decide to go to trial. >> shepard: william h. macy from inside the courtroom from our eyes and ears, puts his arms around his wife and she signs paperwork and puts his arm around her back and consoling. macy joins his wife on the bench at t...

Because somebody unqualified got in because their parents bribed people should sue the colleges rather than involving the criminal justice system and the judge has manifested that view with at least two very light sentencings. we dont know what will happen today and theres more to follow. but she has not pleased the prosecutors. >> shepard: were of the impression that were close to g getting a sentence in a moment. while we do that, what we have witnessed or read about in the courtroom today the...

Greatest form of cheating but you need to pay a punishment more visceral than just going on probation. >> shepard: and more now, alex, the full sentence, 14 days imprisonment, $30,000 fine, supervised probation and 250 hours of community service. >> i think if youre felicity huffman community service you should do whether youre sentenced to or not. she needs to make amends to the community for what shes done and to show shes learned her lesson. her letter to the judge and speech clearly shows re...

This before we have to defend themselves because then theyre severely looking at two years in prison. >> shepard: the process underway right now, we both covered local court for years and years going back multiple cities. its a grueling experience for everybody involved. >> right now in the next 15 minutes, 20 minutes felicity huffman will know where she stands but the rest of the families are just beginning the process and the federal government spent millions prosecuting this. for them, they w...

Hollywood career she has every right to do so and the community will accept her. >> shepard: any thoughts how shes handled it to this far. >> shes had great lawyers and never tried to say she was a victim. her public appearances outside the courtroom and didnt turn into a red carpet movement and laid low which is classic in todays news cycle a classic thing you see she hasnt been photographed much at all. shes not ticking the engine. >> shepard: judge pa poll >> shepar >> shepard: felicity huffm...