Though the long and arduous months of waiting to hear about their prison sentencing ended on November 21, Todd and Julie Chrisley obviously have a wholly different set of worries and anxieties to deal with, as the husband and wife were respectively sentenced to 12 years and 7 years in prison, with each also getting 16 months of probation. They don’t have to surrender themselves to authorities until Sunday, January 15, 2023, and their attorneys will no doubt be hard at work between now and then trying to appeal the judge’s decision. What’s more, the legal team feels positive about earning a decision that’ll go in their clients’ favor.
Todd and Julie Chrisley’s family attorney Alex Little released a statement in the aftermath of the sentencing (via L.A. Times), confirming the appeal process is in the works. And he’s feeling pretty good about the way things could play out, explaining:
Their trial was marred by serious and repeated errors, including the government lying to jurors about what taxes the couple paid. Based on these issues, we are optimistic about the road ahead.
Attorney Alex Little seems to believe that there were enough instances of alleged misinformation presented to the jury that it could lead to a brighter future for the now-former Chrisley Knows Best stars. (The USA series was canceled following the sentencing.) His team is compiling a list of questionable details that were presented as fact in the courtroom, and are accusing the prosecution of using evidence that was allegedly obtained in illegal manners.
Little is also attempting to keep the couple out of prison for as long as can be during the process itself. He reportedly told the court that he’s requesting the Chrisleys not be sent to prison until a ruling is made on the appeal being filed, which could take somewhere around two years to play out. (Their also convicted accountant, Peter Tarantino, will apparently not be required to enter the prison system until May, due to hip surgery.) In Little’s words:
[They have] a good chance at winning. We want to be able to have the appellate court hear their appeal, which we believe presents some serious questions in the conviction.
The reality stars’ attorneys have repeatedly claimed that prosecutors lied about certain details, and used unlawful means to attain other info. The aforementioned Tarantino being pointed to for much of the blame, with claims that the Chrisleys weren’t aware of exactly how he was handling their tax returns. The legal team also claims IRS agent Betty Carter, who testified about the couple allegedly not paying taxes in 2014 and 2015, purposefully lied to the jury with her testimony, and that the prosecution was aware she was lying.
It was back in June when Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty and convicted of bank fraud, tax evasion, and other crimes, and attempts were made to appeal the verdict as well, though to no avail. It’s impossible to know whether Alex Little’s appeal efforts will be more successful this time around, but fans will no doubt be paying close attention to see what happens next.
The couple, who have stated they’ve grown closer than ever between the conviction and the sentencing, will likely have to give up their two Nashville properties that are worth a combined $9 million to help settle the $17.2 in restitution fees that were also part of the sentencing. They’re said to be more invested in what’s happening with their children, understandably, and their prison situation was even adjusted so that they would serve time in Florida institutions that would allow their offspring to visit in a day’s time. Daughter Savannah has shared she now has custody of 16-year-old Grayson (who was in a car crash ahead of the sentencing) and 10-year-old Chloe, the daughter of Todd’s estranged son Kyle.
The couple’s podcast Chrisley Confessions released its latest episode, which was recorded ahead of the sentencing, the day before Thanksgiving, though it’s not clear how much longer that project will continue.
