Social media users are fuming after actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in jail for paying $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT falsified by a proctor.
The Desperate Housewives star broke down in tears shortly before a Boston federal judge announced the sentence that accompanied a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service and being placed on a year’s probation.
She was the first high-profile parent to plead guilty in the college admissions scandal, in her case to one charge of fraud conspiracy. Huffman claimed it was her ‘parental anxiety’ that led her to bribe an official in order to guarantee her daughter a better SAT test score.
Since Huffman’s sentence was announced, social media users have critiqued the short jail sentence, said it was ‘white’ and ‘rich’ privilege that led to the leniency.
Felicity Huffman (left) and her husband William H Macy (right) arriving at Boston Criminal Court today
Huffman leaving federal court after being sentenced to 14 days jail, a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service and being placed on probation for the next year
Huffman (far right) pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud conspiracy after she paid $15,000 to have the SAT score of daughter Sophia (second left) falsified. Huffman apologized to her whole family for the ordeal including daughter Georgia (far left) and husband William H. Macy (second right)
Some online users vented over her short sentence, many comparing them to others who appeared to have received much harsher punishments
Another user semi-seriously wrote that she could profit from her time behind bars
Others joked that the length of her sentence could take a toll on her well-being
Political commentator Ana Navarro-Cárdenas post wrote: ‘A man spent 36 years in prison for stealing $50 from a bakery. Felicity Huffman got 14 days.’
She was referring to the case of Alvin Kennard who was 22 years old at the time he was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole, due to it being his fourth offense.
Kennard, who is now 58 and has spent 36 years in prison, will be released in the next few days after a judge decided to look into his case again, ABC News reported.
Many users wrote that it was Huffman’s ‘white privilege’ that stopped her from receiving a lengthier sentence.
Another compared jail sentences for other crimes, where one person was recommended 30 days jail for stealing a loaf of bread and another was suggested one year for stealing cough syrup and toothpaste.
Journalist Raquel Cepeda wrote: ‘If only Black and Latinx Americans knew what it was like to serve 2 weeks for committing a felony.’
Others jested that she would benefit from the time in jail through being able to ‘sell the film rights… and get paid millions’ or hire a ghostwriter for her ‘tell-all book.’
‘I’m worried about her, quite frankly. A long stretch like that can really change a person,’ Lionel Mandrake wrote.
Many users suggested her ‘white privilege’ meant that she always due for a shorter sentence
The length of her sentence was fumed about by some Twitter users
Cardenas (above) referenced the case of Alivn Kennard, who is due for release after a judge reviewed the life sentence handed down to him previously
Angry users felt a person of color would have received a longer sentence
User Karina wrote: ‘She will serve 6 of which, like every Celebrity she will be Out on day 1 due to “Over Crowding”… Such a “SLAP ON THE HAND!”’
Huffman’s attorneys on Friday requested that she be allowed to serve her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California – about 30 southeast of Oakland.
FCI Dublin is one of four federal penitentiaries in the United States prison system that exclusively houses female inmates. The prison population at Dublin is 1,235 inmates.
Dublin has had a reputation as one of America’s cushiest prisons, according to Forbes. The prison is located close to the Bay Area, where the weather is pleasant year-round.
Others appeared to be glad that the jail sentence for Huffman would ensure all others would receive lengthier stints and harsher fines.
Highlighting another case, Clarke wrote about Kaleif Browder who spent three years in prison before committing suicide
Others refer to Papadopoulos who received the same length sentence as Huffman
Another alluded to the fact that if Lori Loughlin is found guilty she could face harsher punishments
Lori Loughlin and her husband are accused of having bought their daughters’ way into the University of Southern California and are headed to trial after they pleaded not guilty.
The Full House star fighting back hard and entering a not guilty plea against the claims she paid to get her eldest daughter into USC.
Social media users have suggested that if found guilty she will face a lengthier sentence due to disparity in money between her $500,000 that was allegedly spent compared to Huffman’s case $15,000 and the difference in the cases.
Loughlin and her husband are facing jail time because they opted to use the athletics route to gain their daughters’ admittance into University of Southern California.
This required daughters Isabella and Olivia, who had never before rowed in their lives, to pretend they were on crew teams.
In order to sell that, they posed for photos on ergometers, suggesting that they were both aware and willing participants in their parents’ plan.
Furthermore, Olivia knowingly had Singer’s team fill out her college applications, according to the complaint.
Loughlin and her husband Giannulli (pictured above on April 3 leaving federal court in Boston) said in court documents on Monday that they are pleading not guilty to charges that they took part in a sweeping college admissions bribery scam
The Full House star and husband Giannulli each face up to 40 years in prison for allegedly paying $500,000 to get their daughters, Olivia (left picture, right) and Isabella (left picture, left), into USC
One online user implied the Lori Loughlin, who is due to appear at trial after pleading not guilty, could go to jail before R Kelly
Another insinuated that Loughlin could be concerned due to the disparity between her alleged crime and the alleged amount paid, compared with guilty Huffman
‘On or about December 12, 2017, Loughlin e-mailed [Singer], copying Giannulli and their younger daughter [Olivia], to request guidance on how to complete the formal USC application, in the wake of her daughter’s provisional acceptance as a recruited athlete,’ states the complaint.
‘Loughlin wrote: “[Our younger daughter] has not submitted all her colleges [sic] apps and is confused on how to do so. I want to make sure she gets those in as I don’t want to call any attention to [her] with our little friend at [her high school]. Can you tell us how to proceed?”‘
In response, Singer wrote an email ‘directing an employee to submit the applications on behalf of the Giannullis’ younger daughter [Olivia].
Loughlin and Giannulli ‘agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team – despite the fact that they did not participate in crew – thereby facilitating their admission to USC,’ according to the documents.
The couple emailed Singer in 2016 about their daughters’ college prospects, stating that they wanted to do the necessary work to see that the girls got into USC as opposed to ASU.