What is established is that the reunion happened, and that it was one of the outcomes that Campion had in mind when he called Terry Probyn with the news.
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## The Record of Harm
The criminal charges to which Phillip and Nancy Garrido pleaded guilty in April 2011 were specific legal characterizations of specific acts. Kidnapping and rape by force were the primary charges. Phillip Garrido’s additional charges included lewd acts captured on video.
The plea arrangement was structured in part to spare Dugard and her daughters from testifying at trial. The decision to accept pleas—which were entered in El Dorado County, the jurisdiction of the original abduction—reflected a prosecutorial judgment that the interests of the victims were better served by a certain outcome (guilty pleas, substantial sentences) than by the uncertain process and the potential trauma of a trial.
The sentences imposed on June 2, 2011, by Judge Phimister were the maximum available. Phillip Garrido’s 431 years to life is not a biological possibility; it is a legal statement that he will not be released. Nancy Garrido’s 36 years to life, with parole eligibility in August 2029, reflects both the lesser assessment of her role relative to her husband’s and the reality that, if she reaches the eligibility date and is granted parole, she will be in her mid-seventies.
Both defendants waived their right to appeal. This waiver was significant in the context of the guilty pleas: it meant that the convictions would not be subject to appellate challenge based on the plea-taking procedure, the specific charges, or the factual basis offered at the time of the pleas. The legal process in the Garrido case concluded at sentencing.