Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, plan to display a "united front" when they return to court on Aug. 27.
That's according to Mercury News and People, which report the couple is opting for joint representation and will likely waive their rights to separate attorneys as they face charges they paid off officials at the University of Southern California to get their daughters into college.
The former "Fuller House" star and her designer husband's court date is earlier than anticipated because of the Rule 44 Hearing, according to Mercury News. The hearing will reportedly give Loughlin and Giannulli the chance to establish that they prefer joint representation in spite of the advantages separate representation might have offered them.
In court documents, the couple's lawyers state that there's no basis for concern there may be a conflict of interest involved in their chosen approach.
"Giannulli and Loughlin are innocent of the charges brought against them and are eager to clear their names," attorneys tell the court in the docs, excerpted by People. "And they believe their interests will be advanced most effectively by presenting a united front against the Government's baseless accusations."
The couple previously opted not to take a plea deal that experts believe could have spared them serious jail time.
After rejecting the plea deal, the two were hit with money laundering charges in addition to the existing fraud charges, all of which could weigh heavily on their sentences, if they're found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Loughlin and Giannulli's case went public earlier this year as part of a nationwide scandal implicating dozens of parents in illegal activities as a means of getting their children better college admissions test scores and/or getting them into school.
Felicity Huffman was also implicated in the scandal. She took a plea deal early on, though, for which she was rewarded with the recommendation of a relatively lenient sentence.
Initial estimates of a 2-year prison term for Loughlin and Giannulli have since been expanded to suggest they could get 20 to 40 years behind bars, according to Mercury News.