Todd and Julie Chrisley officially reported to prison last week after they were sentenced to years in prison as a result of tax fraud and other offenses. Todd is currently facing 12 years in prison, and Julie is facing 7 years, with both also receiving 16 months of probation each. Despite their current situation, their lawyer Alex Little still believes that the case will be reviewed at some point in the future. At the same time, he explained why, in his opinion, this could happen.
Shortly after Chrisley was sentenced in November, Alex Little made a comment saying he was “optimistic” about his clients’ attempt to appeal the case. At the time, Little claimed that the trial “was marred by serious and repeated mistakes.” The alleged mistake he mentioned is that the “government” “lied to the jury about what taxes the couple paid.” The lawyer expanded on his argument during an interview with ET, during which he raised two specific points:
At the very beginning of this case, there was an unconstitutional search by the Georgia Department of Revenue. This court has already recognized that it was unconstitutional, and it should have stopped the whole case in its tracks. This did not happen. And that’s certainly one of the things we’re pursuing in the appeal. Secondly, one of the IRS officers testified about whether the Chrisleys paid certain taxes. This, of course, in our opinion, influenced the jury, and we believe that this will be the basis for a new trial.
In their motion, the Chrisleys argued that the court allowed “significant amounts of evidence in court that was obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment.” They also say that by doing so, the court “did not properly execute its suppression order.” So far, the couple’s appeal against bank fraud has not been successful, since their request for bail and an extension of the extradition date was rejected almost two weeks ago. Another argument here is whether the stars of “Chrisley Knows Best” repented of their actions, and Alex Little explained why this created a “dilemma” for them:
Of course, the courts want the defendants to take responsibility, but it is also difficult to take responsibility when you have not done what you are accused of. This is the difficulty that any innocent person faces when he is convicted and sentenced. I had people who were found not guilty of murder a decade later, and all this time some courts believed that they did not show remorse, although in fact they were innocent. Thus, it is always a dilemma for anyone who is wrongfully convicted.
Reports indicated that Julie and Todd Chrisley were not happy shortly after they were sentenced to years in prison. They allegedly felt that “the judge unfairly harassed them” because of their status as reality TV stars. Meanwhile, when they were found guilty and eventually had to report to prison, both spoke about their thoughts. Todd, in particular, mentioned that he “struggled”, but his faith supported him through difficult times. In an unhindered interview, Patriarch Chrisley also mentioned his old business partner Mark Braddock, who stated that they had a gay affair. Todd called him, among other things, “toad.”
The couple’s children also supported them during this time, sharing supportive messages on social media a few days before their report date. Before that, Lindsay’s daughter Chrisley shared how her parents used their time before giving up. She stated that they spend time with their family and “live every day as if it’s the last.” It is reported that this is exactly what they did during their last weekend as free people.
At the moment, Todd and Julie Chrisley remain in custody as Alex Little tries to get a retrial. He further told ET that the stars would like people to know that “they didn’t do these things” and “will fight to have their name cleared.” Only time will tell if they will succeed on this front.
