Parents Who Cop to College Admissions Scam May Stay Out of Jail

Getting your kid into Yale with bribes, fixed SAT scores and fake athletic feats is morally indefensible. But in the courtroom it may be a different story.

As the well-heeled parents in the U.S. college admissions scandal negotiate pleas—or, less likely, fight it out at trial—lawyers have some strategies in mind.

“You’re going to have parents saying, ‘Look, I was just trying to help my child. My intent was not to break any laws,’” said Diane Ferrone, a criminal defense lawyer in New York. “I think that the prospect of any of them serving any time in jail is highly ...