Judge Who Sentenced Felicity Huffman Says College Admissions System Was Already Broken

3:18 PM PT -- The judge in the case said some revealing things that could determine what happens to Lori Loughlin and others. The judge gave credit to Felicity for 2 reasons -- she had "near immediate acceptance of responsibility" for her crime, and she paid one of the smallest bribes.  

The judge also questioned prosecutors, who made it clear they wanted to scare the crap out of other parents who might be thinking about doing the same thing. The judge said, "I have trouble with the notion of general deterrence. It doesn't make sense to me."

And, this is fascinating. The judge said she was not swayed by prosecutors claiming the bribery scheme undermined the entire college admissions process, adding, it "has cracks in it with or without what these defendants have done."

1:20 PM PT -- In case it's not apparent, this is a spectacular loss for prosecutors, who at first were clearly gunning for years in prison for anyone involved in the scheme. Ultimately, the people who count -- the Probation Dept. and the judge -- have essentially said the case amounted to a bunch of nothing. 14 days is a huge embarrassment for prosecutors. It would be shocking if prosecutors don't try to cut a deal with Lori Loughlin ... a deal that would mimic Felicity's sentence.

1:10 PM PT -- Felicity just left court. She beelined it to a waiting SUV, without saying anything to the waiting crowd.

12:53 PM PT -- Felicity will have to turn herself in to begin her 2 weeks behind bars on Oct. 25.

12:37 PM PT -- The judge just sentenced Felicity to 14 days behind bars, a $30k fine, one year of supervised release and 250 hours of community service. She'll start her prison time at a later date.

12:19 PM PT -- Felicity now has the floor ... saying, "I am deeply sorry to the students, parents, colleges and universities impacted by my actions." She continued, "I have inflicted more damage (on her daughter) than I could've ever imagined."

Huffman also said, "I was frightened, I was stupid and I was so wrong. I am deeply ashamed of what I have done."

12:05 PM PT -- Prosecutors are not pulling any punches, demanding Felicity get a month behind bars. They've also looped Huffman's daughters into their argument, saying Felicity showed little confidence in her children's academic ability and that they should be angry at their mom.

As for the $20,000 fine and community service punishment Felicity's legal team suggested? Prosecutors say it amounts to nothing considering Huffman is worth tens of millions and enjoys doing community service.