While his family’s kept things ready for his return, they must be glad now that he’s out of jail. Hailstone wants to have a good time on the show, after having missed out on bits of it. A few years earlier, in 2011, Chip claimed that an Alaskan state trooper physically assaulted his daughter Tinmaiq, who was just 17 years old at the time. Of course, it is as long as they comply with the law. In July 2017, Chip was sentenced to 15 months in prison after being charged with two counts of perjury and making false statements to police. He stated it was good to hold a real gun in his hand, marking a return to ‘Life Below Zero.’ As for the troopers, they have assured Chip and his family are in no danger from the department.
He felt it should qualify him for another opportunity to present his case to the court.ĭespite holding out hope, Chip did his time and got out. Hailstone claimed that the audio recordings were not just a lie, but showed the inaccuracy along with scientific proof. In the motion for a new trial, Chip’s defense hired a forensic audio expert, who uncovered that the audio presented in court was ‘interrupted.’ What does this mean? The tape was paused for eleven seconds, and Chip claims that the missing timeframe is when the troopers threatened his family.
Jay Hochberg, Chip’s public defender, even filed for a motion for a new trial – which was naturally denied. The former went on to say that troopers had tampered with the audio recordings which they submitted during his proceedings. While the law enforcement institutions took the stand that Chip was wilfully undermining the justice system, Hailstone and his lawyer continued arguing that the testimony provided was utterly authentic. All of these were piled onto the initial false claim made against Bitz. Unfortunately, the court uncovered that Chip had testified falsely and committed perjury while making sworn statements to the courts. Hailstone noted that he’d had two separate confrontations with Bitz, which led him to fear for his family’s safety. According to Chip, Bitz assaulted his seventeen-year-old daughter, putting her in a submission hold while talking to him. Chip filed it on behalf of his daughter, outlining that the trooper was stalking her. His incarceration made him miss an entire season of. Reports suggest that the court determined Hailstone had obtained a temporary order against Christopher Bitz, a Kotzebue-based Alaska State Trooper. Chip Hailstone served out his prison term at the Anchorage Correctional Complex and has since been released. Chip faced conviction due to two charges – felony perjury and false testimony. It was followed by a three-year probationary period. In June 2017, Chip was sentenced to fifteen months in jail – and served time at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
Chip Hailstone’s Prison Sentence, Explained: