A three-judge panel found that a lower court made crucial missteps in the trial of Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson, the first parents to take their chances in front of a jury.
Prosecutors recommended six years in the scheme that undermined college admissions. Mr. Singer asked for a maximum of six months, citing childhood trauma.
Jovan Vavic, the former water polo coach at U.S.C., was accused of taking more than $200,000 in bribes in exchange for designating high school applicants as recruits.