Petition:  "A relatively light sentence of three-year's probation was ordered by Judge Charles Boags" and Friedman "avoided a full-blown criminal trial with a potential sentence of five years in prison and $12,500 in fines." How did Friedman avoid prison?

Petition endnotes from news articles:  (1) Friedman was facing five misdemeanor counts of child annoying involving acts with students on the high school campus; (2) making improper sexual advances; (3) a police investigation turned up eight or nine former students of Friedman’s who were prepared to testify that, in recent years, the defendant had fondled them after directing them to disrobe in his presence, (4) in various locations on the Beverly Hills High campus; (5) carried out in darkened classrooms or in a locker room setting; (6) Friedman told the girls he was conducting a survey of sexual behavior; (7) involved touching; (8) the defendant had fondled them after directing them to disrobe in his presence; (9) used a tape measure and entered figures on charts; (10) to make sure they were developing properly and were on proper diets; (11) two high school girls said he forced them to undress in his office at least five times; (12) several other former  students allegedly had similar experiences with Friedman, and (13) Friedman must register as a mentally disordered sex offender. 

Did Hank Friedman get help from Judge Charles Boags, who was later fired for obstructing justice, also involving Beverly Hills High School?  On December 21, 1988, the Los Angeles times reported, "Beverly Hills Municipal Judge Charles Boags was placed on six months’ probation and fined $4,000 Friday for conspiring to obstruct justice by suspending fines on parking tickets issued to his son and the younger Boags’ Beverly Hills High School friends.  On May 2, 1990, Boags was removed from office for this conviction by the CA Supreme Court.

Friedman's Judge Fined, Probation for Fixing Tickets for son & Beverly High friends