Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have filed a $25 million [1] legal-malpractice lawsuit against their former defense attorney.
The lawsuit targets Chris Anulewicz and the firm Balch & Bingham. The filing argues that inadequate representation directly caused the couple's fraud convictions and subsequent jail time.
The legal action was filed in a U.S. federal district court in June 2024 [2]. This move comes approximately three years [2] after the couple faced fraud convictions between 2021 and 2022 [2].
According to the filing, the Chrisleys allege their former attorneys were unqualified for the case. They said that the legal team made catastrophic errors during the proceedings, errors they believe resulted in their imprisonment for bank fraud [3, 4].
The couple is seeking damages based on the premise that the professional negligence of Anulewicz and his firm deprived them of a fair outcome. The lawsuit focuses on the quality of the defense provided during the original criminal trial.
This litigation represents a shift in the couple's strategy to challenge the consequences of their criminal cases. By targeting their own former counsel, the Chrisleys are attempting to hold the legal team financially accountable for the loss of their freedom [1, 3].
“The couple is seeking $25 million in damages.”
This lawsuit highlights the high legal threshold for proving malpractice in criminal defense. To succeed, the Chrisleys must prove not only that their lawyers were negligent, but that a different legal strategy would have likely resulted in an acquittal or a significantly lighter sentence, regardless of the evidence presented by the prosecution.
