Savannah Chrisley's impassioned plea to judge ahead of mother's resentencing hearing
Savannah Chrisley, Julie Chrisley -- (Photo by: USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Reality TV star Savannah Chrisley made a heartfelt plea to U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross ahead of her mother, Julie Chrisley's, resentencing hearing last month in a tax evasion and fraud case. In a poignant letter, Savannah expressed her deep gratitude to the judge for allowing her family to spend one last Thanksgiving and Christmas together before her parents' imprisonment.
"I truly believe you felt the weight of that decision in your heart, and for that, I thank you sincerely," Savannah wrote. Julie Chrisley, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence, saw her sentence vacated earlier this year due to a legal error, prompting the recent resentencing hearing.
In the letter, Savannah, 27, highlighted the toll her mother's absence has taken on their family, particularly on her younger siblings, Grayson and Chloe, whom she now cares for. "I am writing to you, not just as a daughter, but as a 27-year-old woman now raising my younger brother Grayson and sister Chloe," she shared, describing the past two years as "unimaginably difficult."
Savannah recounted Chloe's emotional struggles, noting that she had already faced abandonment from her biological parents. "She asks me, 'Do you think Mom will be home to teach me to drive?' or 'Will Mom be here for my first high school dance?' Her questions are constant, and the uncertainty is heartbreaking," Savannah wrote.
She also spoke of the challenges her brother Grayson faces, expressing that while he tells her she saved him, it is Grayson who has saved her "more times than I can count these past two years." Savannah described the difficulty of balancing the demands of parenting, managing a household, and advocating for her parents' freedom, all while living on a single income.
"My mother has missed so many of the moments that define a family—Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Chloe entering middle school and starting cheerleading, Grayson’s last baseball season, senior year, prom, and now the college admissions process," Savannah explained. She urged the judge to understand the "deep ache" she feels knowing her mother has missed these critical milestones.
SEE ALSO: Savannah Chrisley decries mother's harsh prison treatment, laments judge’s resentencing
Savannah also detailed the harsh conditions her mother has faced in prison, particularly during her recent transfer. "When you ruled that she must attend this resentencing in person, the abuse began," she wrote. Julie Chrisley endured a 13-hour transport, during which she chose not to eat or drink to avoid using the restroom in front of heckling men.
"The isolation and deprivation are taking their toll on her mentally and physically," Savannah said. She concluded the letter by appealing to Judge Ross as a fellow mother, pleading for mercy: "I beg you, Your Honor—please, send my mama home."
Julie Chrisley remains incarcerated after her conviction for tax evasion and bank fraud, and while her resentencing hearing provided a glimmer of hope, prosecutors urged the court to maintain the original seven-year sentence, which the judge ultimately upheld.
Here’s the full text of the letter:
Dear Judge Eleanor Ross,
I hope this letter finds you well. First and foremost, I want to express my deep gratitude for your kindness in allowing my family the gift of that last Thanksgiving and Christmas together. It would have been within your power to separate us the day of sentencing, but you chose to delay it, giving us what would become our final holidays as a complete family for 7 to 12 years. I truly believe you felt the weight of that decision in your heart, and for that, I thank you sincerely.
Today marks 617 days since my family was torn apart. In that time, the trauma and pain of separation have felt like a lifetime of punishment. I am writing to you not just as a daughter, but as a 27-year-old woman now raising my younger brother Grayson and sister Chloe. The past two years have been unimaginably difficult. I know that God destined me for motherhood, but never did I expect to be placed in this role under these circumstances. I love Grayson and Chloe with all my heart, but no matter how much I provide for them, I know I can never truly give them what their mother can.
Chloe, who has already experienced the pain of abandonment by her biological parents, now faces that same heartbreak again with the absence of my parents—her true parents. She asks me, "Do you think Mom will be home to teach me to drive?" or "Will Mom be here for my first high school dance?" Her questions are constant, and the uncertainty is heartbreaking.
Grayson, my sweet brother, tells me that I saved him, but the truth is, he has saved me more times than I can count these past two years. We’ve faced the challenges of parenting together, navigating the struggles of school, home life, and simply surviving. But I feel the strain every day as I juggle raising them, fighting for justice and freedom for my parents, and trying to keep a roof over our heads. As a single woman running a one-income household, it often feels like no matter how hard I work, it’s never quite enough.
My mother has missed so many of the moments that define a family—Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Chloe entering middle school and starting cheerleading, Grayson’s last baseball season, senior year, prom, and now the college admissions process. All moments when children need their parents most. I imagine the joy you’ve felt witnessing milestones in your own children’s lives, and I hope you can understand the deep ache that fills my heart knowing my mother has missed these with us.
Chloe is struggling in school despite the resources I’ve tried to provide. Both she and Grayson wrestle with anxiety and depression that sometimes leaves them debilitated. I am fighting with every ounce of my being to keep them from becoming another statistic—children of incarcerated parents who lose their way. They are brilliant, beautiful souls with the potential to change the world, and I don’t want this world to break them. But I can’t do it alone. I need my mother. We need her.
Watching the treatment of my mom while she is incarcerated has been heartbreaking. The conditions are inhumane, especially for women. When you ruled that she must attend this resentencing in person, the abuse began. I just want you to know the conditions because I truly do not believe you have been privy to these things. My mother endured a 13-hour transport, told not to eat or drink, because if she had to go to the bathroom, she would have to walk through a plane filled with men heckling her just to use the restroom at the back. She chose to not eat or drink for the entire journey, just to preserve what little dignity she had left. Since then, she has been transferred from facility to facility, allowed outside for only an hour a day. The isolation and deprivation are taking their toll on her mentally and physically.
Your Honor, I beg of you to see my mother as I do—a woman who has endured tremendous hardship and pain. I plead with you to grant her mercy, to allow her to survive this ordeal, and come home to her family. I know that beneath the robes of justice, you are also a mother. And as a mother, I believe you understand the power of that bond. Please, I am not asking for myself alone but for two children who need their mother. For a family that has been fractured in ways that words can’t fully capture.
I long for the day I can embrace my mother as a free woman again. I beg you, Your Honor—please, send my mama home.
Sincerely,
Savannah Chrisley