How Todd and Julie Chrisley Will Be Involved in Family’s New Show: ‘They’re Looking Forward to It’ (Exclusive)

As the Chrisley family prepares to launch an all-new reality series, parents Todd and Julie still plan to support the show as best as they can amid their prison sentences.

Jay Surgent, a Partner at Weiner Law Group LLP who specializes in white-collar crime, exclusively tells PEOPLE that “it’s highly doubtful that the Bureau of Prisons is going to allow any filming for this, regarding Julie or Todd.” But it doesn’t mean they still can’t partake in other ways.

“Certain rules and regulations have to be followed for security purposes and the administration operations in the prisons, and there’s no question about that. However, I expect, knowing Todd, that he will contribute in every way that he can by speaking with him,” the couple’s attorney says.

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“He speaks with [his daughter] Savannah. Savannah visits her parents, Savannah’s in constant contact with her parents by phone,” he continues. “He’ll be adding his viewpoints on things relative to his thoughts about his children, what they’re doing with their careers, with this new show that’s being now shopped. Also, his own situation as well as Julie’s situation.”

“So while they’re not going to be active film participants, their situation, their concerns, are going to be able to be expressed through the mouth of their own children during the performance of this unscripted docuseries,” he adds. “So they’re looking forward to it.”

Dennis Leupold/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty

Surgent says the Chrisley family patriarch is “very excited” about his family’s big return to television.

“It’s going to be natural and straightforward,” he explains. “He knows a lot of people that like his shows and like the family shows — like, that aspect of it, that it is unscripted and people are acting naturally. It’s not like, I don’t know, acted out or preconceived.”

Given the pair’s legal predicament, Surgent notes there are “certain limitations, ethically, as well as defense-wise and as well as prosecution-wise,” as to what they can and can’t show on the upcoming series.

“There’s certain things that can’t be said and done while there’s pending of an appeal before any circuit court in the United States, no less in their situation where they’ve gotten a lot of publicity,” he says. “So, while the children and [Todd’s mother] Nanny Faye might be expressing their concern about their children and about their own situation, they’re not going to be able to go into detail with reference to any specific legal opinions projected by their attorneys or pending issues before the Federal Circuit Court.”

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Surgent adds, “I would suspect that the district court that was involved with the situation, as well as the circuit court, would ultimately frown upon any comments made on legal arguments pro and con their positions by their children on a national TV unscripted program, ex parte.” 

The family is, however, permitted to “talk about it in general.”

“They could say they’re disappointed at what happened in district court. They could say that they feel as though that there’s issues with reference to the parents’ constitutional rights being violated, just talking generalities, and their hopes that the parents will prevail on appeal,” he shares. “That the verdict would be reversed, or the case would be remanded back to the district court in Atlanta for reconsideration of some issues, or even, in fact, have some hearings on restitution, or whatever.”

“They have to be careful as to what they say as to not prejudice their parents’ appeal. Or, for that matter, prejudice the prosecution’s position. They’re not allowed to do that either,” he concludes. “But they’ll be cautious about that.”

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PEOPLE exclusively revealed on Monday that Chase Chrisley, Savannah Chrisley, Grayson Chrisley, Chloe Chrisley and Nanny Faye have a new reality series in the works under Scout Productions. The company teased it will be a “continuation of their story” after their previous USA Network series, Chrisley Knows Best, concluded in March after Todd, 54, and Julie, 50, reported to prison in January for fraud.

Savannah, 26, said the “time was right to share our story” in a new format.

“We couldn’t have found better partners in Scout Productions. Their ability to balance popular culture and empathy through authentic storytelling is unrivaled and I know they’re going to find the right home for this next chapter of our lives,” her statement continued. “We’re so happy to be back.”

Meanwhile, as Todd and Julie continue to serve their combined 19-year sentence, they are in the process of appealing their case.

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Source: HIS Education