“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Karen Huger has been denied work release, though all hope is not lost.
According to The Washington Post, the 61-year-old was approved by corrections officials to transfer to Montgomery County’s Pre-Release Center, a treatment-focused facility that “looks more like a college dorm than a jail.” However, Judge Terrence McGann denied the motion.
“She drew the wrong judge,” said defense attorney David Moyse. “It was just horrible luck.”
Huger’s sentence stems from a March 2024 crash in Potomac, Maryland, where she drunkenly crashed her Maserati. “Oh God,” she said on police video. “I’m lit.”
Judge McGann, 75, known for lengthy sentences, imposed 12 months in jail, far above state guidelines recommending probation.
“If there was ever a time to label guidelines as ludicrous, this is the time,” he said in court, citing Huger’s three prior DUIs.
The denied transfer means Huger will remain at Montgomery County Correctional Facility, not the more lenient pre-release center where inmates use facility computers to job hunt and attend AA or NA meetings.
“Anyone who is really looking to make a change will do well here,” said Ivan Downing, community corrections head.
Her attorney, David Martella, expressed disappointment. “It’s a great program…more treatment-focused.”
Huger is expected to be released by November with good behavior. Still, her absence already affected Season 9 of “Real Housewives of Potomac,” and Bravo has not said if she’ll return for Season 10.
“Karen is 60-something years old,” co-star Gizelle Bryant said. “To be going to jail at 60-something years old is a problem.”
