The legal troubles surrounding Chud the Builder may now be extending beyond the courtroom and into his personal living situation. During a recent bond hearing in Tennessee, attorneys representing the controversial livestreamer argued that keeping his bond at $1 million could leave him facing eviction from the double-wide trailer he calls home, adding a new wrinkle to a criminal case that has already drawn national attention.
Dalton Eatherly, the 28-year-old internet personality known online as Chud the Builder, appeared before a Montgomery County judge seeking a reduction in bond after being charged in connection with a May 13 shooting outside the Montgomery County Courthouse in Clarksville. While the court previously lowered his bond from $1.25 million to $1 million, defense attorney Jacob Fendley argued that the amount remains prohibitively high and could create additional consequences beyond incarceration.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Fendley told the court that maintaining the seven-figure bond could result in Eatherly losing his residence. The attorney also challenged the state's characterization of his client, arguing that public outrage over Eatherly's online content should not influence pretrial detention decisions.
“I understand Mr. Eatherly has caused members of the community to be offended, but that shouldn’t affect bail,” Fendley reportedly told the court.
Prosecutors pushed back forcefully. District Attorney General Robert J. Nash argued that Eatherly's online activity is directly relevant to the allegations. “The facts of this particular case are Mr. Eatherly has a business as ‘Chud the Builder,’ where he goes out to entice and provoke Black people for a response,” Nash reportedly argued during the hearing.
Prosecutors also emphasized that Joshua Fox, the disabled veteran allegedly shot during the incident, had a legitimate reason to be at the courthouse, while questioning why Eatherly remained there after his own court appearance had concluded.
The shooting remains the centerpiece of a rapidly expanding list of legal problems. Authorities allege that a verbal confrontation between Eatherly and Fox escalated into a physical altercation that ended with gunfire.
Fox suffered gunshot wounds to the stomach and shoulder but survived. Eatherly was subsequently charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and employing a firearm during a dangerous felony.
The courthouse incident occurred just days after Eatherly's separate arrest in Nashville, where police accused him of refusing to pay a restaurant bill and resisting arrest after being removed from a steakhouse for livestreaming inside the establishment. Those charges remain pending.
For now, Eatherly remains in custody as supporters reportedly attempt to raise funds for his release. The judge has indicated that any eventual release would come with strict conditions, including a nightly curfew.
