Shannon O’Connor: ‘Sex party mom’ faces maximum sentence of 20 years prison but could be out in 4
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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: The victims of Shannon O’Connor, known as the 'Los Gatos Party mom,’ wants maximum jail time for her, who is charged with 39 crimes including felony child endangerment and misdemeanor sexual battery and child molestation. O’Connor got charged in October 2021 after she was accused of throwing drunken parties for her teen son and his friends, where she allegedly encouraged them to drink and participate in sex acts.
During a hearing on Friday, April 21, as the victims and their parents of victims slammed the 'party mom' for pressurizing the teenagers to binge drink and engage in sex for her own sexual gratification, O'Connor kept her head down. The court proceedings hint that the disgraced mom's legal team may be preparing for O’Connor to change her plea in order to avoid a trial.
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Shannon O'Connor pleaded 'not guilty' but had been denied bail
Investigators had revealed earlier that O’Connor was the only adult present at parties thrown in her Los Gatos mansion, a vacation rental in Santa Cruz, and a vacation house in Lake Tahoe. Teens who attended the parties were sworn to secrecy, reported Kron4. O'Connor ended up getting caught because of her Snapchats to her teen victims instructing them to keep the parties a secret from their parents, reports SFist. Another parent was alerted to the situation after their teenage son came home extremely drunk and apparently nearly drowned in a bathtub due to intoxication. A total of 15 people, out of a possible 25, produced victim impact statements on April 21. O'Connor was taken into custody - first in Idaho where she was arrested then in San Jose, where she's been jailed since October of 2021. O'Connor, who pleaded not guilty, has been denied bail multiple times. The next public court date, where the sentence will be announced if she gets convicted, will be on May 16.
How long could Shannon O'Connor spend in jail if convicted?
Talking about it, legal analyst Steven Clark said, "What the judge will carefully look at is whether Miss O'Connor is truly remorseful? And whether she is someone who will not re-offend. And that will go a long way with the judge in fashioning an appropriate indicated sentence." O’Connor, who has been locked up at Elmwood Correctional Facility, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. While Daily Mail stated she could be out of jail in four years with good behavior. As per Federal Register, federal law allows a credit of 54 days for every one year of good behavior. To be eligible for early release, a person must be sentenced to more than one year in prison.
Also, if O’Connor pleads guilty, she may receive a lighter sentence. KRON4 reported that the "court proceedings indicate that O’Connor’s defense attorneys are seeking a prison sentence of eight years or less." San Diego attorney Elliott Kanter states on his website that the accused can go for sentence bargaining. The suspect can plead guilty or opt for no contest to a charge in return for a reduced sentence. “For example, a suspect may agree to plead guilty to a misdemeanor if the prosecutor promises to recommend that the judge not order jail time,” the website reads