A judge has denied The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah’s motion to dismiss her fraud case following the Hulu documentary The Housewife & the Shah Shocker.
Jen’s legal troubles are no secret. The Bravo personality was arrested last spring for fraud charges. She allegedly ran a telemarketing scheme with the help of her assistant Stuart Smith to rip off hundreds of people.
The story of Jen’s arrest and the aftermath has been one of the main focuses of Season 2 of RHOSLC. Bravo came under fire for airing footage of Jen’s son when cops surrounded her family home. Jen recently admitted her legal struggle has taken a toll on her family.
Judge denies Jen Shah’s motion to dismiss fraud case following Hulu documentary
Jen was not painted in the best light in the Hulu film. Designer Koa Johnson recalled Jen throwing a chili bowl at him. Koa also claimed Jen was far worse in real life than what RHOSLC viewers saw on the show.
Not long after The Housewife & the Shah Shocker dropped on Hulu, Jen filed a motion to have all charges against her dropped. Jen’s attorney declared the documentary could “severely jeopardize” her right to a fair trial. The lawyer worried the jury pool would become tainted because of The Housewife & the Shah Shocker.
It turns out a judge disagreed with the argument, and Jen will have to face the charges against her. According to court documents obtained by People magazine, Judge Sidney H. Stein made the decision.
“Dismissal of an indictment is an extreme sanction that is to be utilized only in the rare case,” the judge wrote. “There has been no evidence whatsoever proffered to suggest that Shah’s right to a fair trial has been compromised or prejudiced in any respect. An appropriate voir dire of potential jurors will be able to determine if the jury pool has been tainted in any way by” the documentary.”
What’s next for RHOSLC star Jen Shah’s legal case?
Although Stuart changed his plea in November to guilty, Jen still maintains her innocence. Stuart will be sentenced in March and face years in prison.
Jen will also be headed to court in March. The trial was initially set for October 2021 but was moved for COVID-19 reasons over the summer. If Jen is found guilty, she could spend years in prison for her crimes.
As for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, cameras have been rolling a lot throughout Jen’s crime drama. Season 2 is currently airing on Bravo. The network has yet to confirm Season 3. However, a tweet got the rumor mill buzzing the show was getting another season.
There’s no doubt Bravo will want to capitalize on Jen Shah’s legal drama. Erika Jayne’s legal woes did wonders for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 11. It’s one reason the show has already begun filming Season 12.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.