Julie Chrisley’s resentencing hearing ended Wednesday with U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross ruling to uphold the former Chrisley Knows Best star’s original seven-year prison sentence.
As fans know, Julie and husband Todd Chrisley are currently serving prison time for tax evasion and fraud crimes– seven years for Julie and 12 years for Todd. (In September 2023, the couple had the number of years on their respective sentences reduced– with 14 months taken off of Julie’s sentence and two years taken off of Todd’s sentence.)
As The Ashley previously told you, while the Chrisleys are in the process of appealing their criminal convictions, Julie’s prison sentence was overturned by the appeals court in July after it was determined that there was not enough evidence to tie her to crimes that had occurred prior to 2017. Julie was ordered at that point to be resentenced in District Court, which happened on Wednesday.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, prosecutors asked the judge Wednesday to keep Julie’s prison sentence at seven years, while Julie’s attorneys requested a shorter sentence for their client.
The hearing ended with Judge Ross siding with the prosecution, while also issuing a stern message to Julie herself.
“I hope you and everyone concerned with this case are more concerned with your children’s wellbeing and not with TV ratings, podcasts, etc.,” Judge Ross told Julie in the courtroom. “My sentence will not change.”
Julie was also given the opportunity to address the judge during her resentencing hearing.
“I apologize for my actions and what led me to where I am today,” she said, according to Associated Press.
Julie went on to state that her time behind bars has been “the most difficult time in my life,” adding that it has also been hard on her four children.
“I cannot ever repay my children for what they have had to go through, and for that I am sorry,” she said.
While Judge Ross recognized Julie’s comments, she noted that many people serving time in prison have children and most of those individuals do not have the same resources or support system that the Chrisleys have.
“It saddens me every time I see children going through that,” Judge Ross said, adding that she reminds herself she isn’t “the one who made the choices to put the children in that situation.”
When asked to comment on the outcome of her mom’s resentencing, Savannah Chrisley, who attended Wednesday’s hearing along with her brother Chase Chrisley, told Entertainment Tonight she was “very disappointed,” adding that an appeal will be filed.
“ … the judge showed her cards,” Savannah said of Judge Ross. “But I think if people do their research on this judge and see how many times she’s been reversed and remanded back, it’ll tell us enough.”
Prior to Wednesday’s resentencing, Savannah, who became the legal guardian of younger siblings Grayson and Chloe prior to Todd and Julie reporting to prison, spoke on her Unlocked podcast about the possibility of her mom leaving the courtroom this week with her original sentence of seven years in prison.
“That could well happen and that feels like a punch in the gut,” she said, according to E! News. “When you reduce the alleged fraud by 75 percent, I don’t see how you could stick to the same sentence.”
Savannah said on her podcast that she wasn’t getting her hopes up that the judge would declare Julie had “time served” and that her mom would be sent home; however, she seemed somewhat hopeful that her mom’s sentence would be reduced.
“ … I’m in such a phase of life right now of just needing my mom,” she said on Tuesday’s podcast. “Trust me, I need my dad, too. I do. But I feel like you go through phases of life where you’re a daddy’s girl, you’re a mama’s girl. Like, you just need your dad for some things and you just need your mom for some things and I need them both home.”
(Photos: USA Network; Instagram)
11 Responses
Newsflash Savannah, your parents knew you and your siblings needed them, but that money grab was more important. Everyone is sorry when they are in prison, but it is worth the roll of the dice until they are caught. Prison is not supposed to be comfortable or enjoyable.
What terrible people.
Awesome. Now we’ll get to hear Savanna bitchin about this for another year. Insufferable family
Your mother is a criminal and she should pay for what she did. Period.
Good. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
What was the point of overturning the sentence if they were just going to uphold the sentence?! There a much bigger fish to fry with everything that is going on in this world! Stop wasting time & money & lets put some real criminals in jail! And get justice for the woman children boys & girls & men that really need help! Stop playing around with this bullshit!
Look at all the tax dollars wasted getting her to the hearing all the way in Georgia. I can’t help but to think her attorney’s failed her. I also think that her daughter going on her podcast bad mouthing the prison system every week isn’t helping her case.
Her making salty comments about the Judge’s records on sentencing is CRAZY. Even though the appeal may have a new Judge (though how great would it be if it was the same one) they are all connected and won’t take kindly to her bashing one of their own.
They are very much real criminals. Tax fraud hurts all of us. I care more about this than some dude doing crack in an alley.
No “real criminals” (which they are, btw) are going without punishment simply because her original sentence, which was lenient for the crimes she was charged with, is upheld. The sentence wasn’t overturned, it was simply brought back for review based on what someone, at the time, thought deserved another look after an appeal was filed. They believed there wasn’t sufficient evidence for *all* of the charges, which is why the sentence itself had to be reviewed. It happens all the time when people appeal. It doesn’t always end in a reduced sentence, like it didn’t in this case.
That’s probably exactly why the judge upheld the sentence, she isn’t playing around with their rich people get away with whatever the hell they want bullshit. Good for the judge!
I wish ALL judges were like this i.e the judges dealing with Jenelle Evans, Justin Timberlake, etc. etc.