A panel of federal appeals court judges in Atlanta heard arguments this morning in the attempt by Todd and Julie Chrisley to overturn many of their convictions for bank fraud and tax evasion.
The former Atlanta multimillionaires and reality television stars are serving prison sentences of 12 and seven years, respectively, having been found guilty in 2022 of a total of 10 charges. Prosecutors said they fraudulently obtained $36 million in bank loans and hid millions of dollars in income from their “Chrisley Knows Best” show to avoid paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding federal taxes.
Here’s what we know about today’s hearing:
TIMETABLE: An attorney for the Chrisleys will have just 15 minutes to argue their case before three judges of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. A prosecutor will also have 15 minutes to state why the couple’s convictions and sentences should be upheld. The judges can ask questions of the lawyers and allocate a few extra minutes of argument time for responses.
The judges are not expected to make a decision today. They typically issue an opinion months after oral argument, having also considered lengthy written arguments submitted by the parties as well as case records.
WHO WILL BE THERE?: The Chrisleys are unlikely to be in court. Todd Chrisley, 56, is incarcerated at a minimum security federal prison in Pensacola, Florida. Julie Chrisley, 51, is serving her sentence at a federal prison facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
THE ARGUMENTS: Todd Chrisley, who was found guilty of eight charges, wants to be acquitted on two tax-related charges and granted a new trial on the remaining counts. He claims the jury heard false testimony and saw evidence from an illegal warehouse raid.
Julie Chrisley is asking for acquittal on five bank fraud charges and to be resentenced on five other counts. She’s fighting the $17.2 million restitution that both Chrisleys were ordered to pay and a related $17.2 million forfeiture ruling allowing prosecutors to take their property.
An attorney for Peter Tarantino, the couple’s former accountant, will also argue for his convictions to be overturned. Tarantino was prosecuted alongside the Chrisleys and wants a new trial, having been found guilty of three tax evasion-related charges, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $35,000.
