Still in prison, Todd Chrisley ordered to pay $755,000 for defamation. When will he get out?
Despite their hit reality show ending last year, the Chrisleys are still finding themselves in dramatic situations.
"Chrisley Knows Best" star Todd Chrisley has been ordered to pay $755,000 to a former Georgia Department of Revenue investigator who sued him for defamation in 2021.
A Georgia jury found Chrisley, who is currently serving time in a Pensacola federal prison for bank fraud and tax evasion, liable for defamatory statements against Amy Doherty-Heinze that he shared on his podcast and social media accounts, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
What were the defamatory comments made by Todd Chrisley?
According to the Los Angeles Times, Doherty-Heinze alleged Chrisley started accusing her of "a multitude of crimes and wrongdoing" in 2020.
She also claimed he "repeated false accusations that, among other things, (Doherty-Heinze) engaged in various criminal misconduct in her post as an investigator for the Georgia Department of Revenue's Office of Special Investigations."
How much was Doherty-Heinze awarded in the Chrisley defamation case?
USA TODAY reported the jury awarded Doherty-Heinze $350,000 in compensatory damages – $175,000 in damages for one count of defamation by libel and another $175,000 for one count of defamation by slander on Chrisley's podcast in 2020 – $170,000 in punitive damages and $235,000 in legal expenses.
It was noted the jury agreed that Chrisley made false and defamatory statements about Doherty-Heinze in a 2022 podcast episode but didn't believe he acted with "malice," so she was not awarded damages for this third count.
What has Chrisley, his lawyers said about the lawsuit?
In a statement to People Magazine, Chrisley's lawyers said that his team is "pleased the jury recognized that some of Mr. Chrisley’s statements were not defamatory and awarded the plaintiff a fourth of the damages she requested."
They also revealed they will be filing an appeal.
What other lawsuits have the Chrisley's had?
The former reality stars received a $1 million settlement from the state of Georgia back in January stemming from a 2019 lawsuit following an investigation by the state into the couple on tax evasion.
USA TODAY reported that Todd and Julie Chrisley first sued Joshua Waites, the former director of the Georgia Department of Revenue's office of special investigations back in October 2019, accusing him of being "an out-of-control public servant" who abused "the power of his office" to pursue "bogus tax evasion claims" against them.
The complaint also alleged Waites targeted Todd Chrisley's "estranged daughter, Lindsie Chrisley Campbell, in an effort to induce her to reveal compromising information about her family."
According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, the Chrisleys and Waites agreed to the dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice on Jan. 4. On Sept. 13, 2023, the Chrisleys notified the court that they'd settled.
Are Todd and Julie Chrisley still in prison? Why are they in prison?
The disgraced reality TV stars are still serving their prison sentences.
Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty of committing tax evasion and defrauding community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in June 2022. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud.
The couple was respectively first sentenced to 12 and seven years in prison in November of 2022. In addition to their prison sentences, they each received an order of 16 months probation from U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta, news outlets reported.
Where are Todd and Julie Chrisley serving their sentences?
Todd began his 12-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola on Jan. 17, 2023.
The Pensacola prison is described as a "minimum security federal prison camp," according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In 2009, Forbes listed FPC Pensacola as the second “cushiest” prison in America.
According to Forbes, FPC Pensacola’s proximity to NAS Pensacola is a rare and desirable feature for inmates due to having access to better jobs and recreational activities. The Tallahassee Democrat reported last year that it had 350 male prisoners.
As for Julie, she was originally slated to serve her time at the Federal Correctional Institute Marianna SCP in Jackson County, which is two hours away from FPC Pensacola. However, the matriarch was moved to the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
It is not clear why she was instead rerouted to the Kentucky facility, with officials telling news outlet Insider that they could not share any information behind the switch-up.
Are the Chrisleys getting out of prison early?
On Sept. 8, 2023, it was confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that the prison sentences of the Chrisleys were reduced.
Todd will be released on Nov. 23, 2032, two years sooner than his original sentence. Julie's sentence was reduced by 14 months and will now be released on Aug. 20, 2028.
However, they might be getting out even earlier. An Atlanta federal appeals court will hear oral arguments in the Chrisleys' cases next week. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, claimed this update could bring the family "one step closer to getting mom and dad home."
Contributing reporting: KiMi Robinson, USA Today
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Todd Chrisley ordered to pay $755K in defamation case. What he said
