Attorneys forLori Loughlinand husbandMossimo Giannullibelieve they have a good chance of being acquitted if they face trial after being charged in thecollege admissions scandal, a source close to the actress tells PEOPLE.
“The more that [the attorneys] look at the alleged evidence against them, the better they feel about the case,” says the source. “Everyone is feeling more and more confident that this could end well for them.”
The insider, who speaks with the family regularly, tells PEOPLE that Loughlin wants to put the entire case behind her. “A trial drags things out,” says the source, “and she would like to move forward, which she can’t do until it goes to trial. But still, she feels like she’s got a valid defense, and that when all the evidence comes out, that she won’t be found guilty.”
Going to trial could also salvage her reputation, says the source. “Lori feels like so much damage has been done publicly that the only way for her to counter it is to fight this case in court,” the source previously told PEOPLE. “She feels like once all the evidence is presented, that people will understand how things happened.”
Loughlin, 54, and Giannulli, 55, face charges of mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison on each charge.
Attorneys for the couple were in court last week, entering formal pleas of not guilty. The couple previouslyturned down a plea dealbecause it included jail time.
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“She doesn’t want to spend time in jail,” the source says, “but she knows that any sort of plea or conviction at this point will include jail time. Her only chance of avoiding jail is to go to court and be found not guilty.”
On March 12, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that it had charged 50 people, includingFelicity Huffman, Loughlin and her husband, in the cheating scandal. Along with coaches, admissions counselors and fellow parents, they were accused of alleged crimes such as falsifying SAT scores and lying about the athletic skills of their children.
Prosecutors alleged that Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 to admissions consultantWilliam “Rick” Singerand his nonprofit organization, Key Worldwide Foundation (“KWF”), which prosecutors said was actually a front for accepting bribes, to have their daughtersOlivia Jade, 19, andIsabella Rose, 20,designated as recruits to the USC crew team— despite the fact that they did not participate in crew. NeitherOlivia Jade, 19, and Isabella Rose, 20, are listed on the USC women’s rowing roster.
Singer has since admitted his role as the ringleader of the scam and has pleaded guilty to multiple charges. Huffman has agreed to plead guilty to the charge against her of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
Reps for Loughlin and Giannulli have not returned PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
From left: Olivia Jade Giannulli, Lori Loughlin and Isabella Rose Giannulli.Gabriel Olsen/Getty
The source, who previously told PEOPLE the coupledidn’t intend to do anything illegal, maintains that they believe the evidence will eventually exonerate them.
A trial date has not yet been set.
source: people.com
