Grace Pauline Kelley, the 30-year-old daughter of country star Wynonna Judd, has been denied a temporary prison furlough in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she requested release to give birth.
Kelley is currently serving a 15-month jail sentence at the Rockingham County Jail in Harrisonburg, Virginia, after pleading guilty on June 18 to driving with a suspended or revoked license following an incident in October, according to court records viewed by the Daily Mail.
Her defense counsel filed a court petition on July 2 stating that Kelley was expecting a baby via a scheduled Caesarean section around August 16, according to legal documents obtained by People magazine. Her legal team requested a temporary leave of absence from prison because the surgical procedure would leave her confined to bed for three days.
However, Judge Clark A Ritchie denied the requested furlough during a virtual court hearing on July 16 that Kelley attended from prison, court records show. It remains unclear whether Kelley has already given birth to her second child.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Kelley's attorney and representatives for Wynonna Judd for comment.
Furlough Petition and Family Relations
In court filings requesting the furlough, Kelley's legal team argued that denying her release would complicate the delivery of the child, which must be performed in a sterile operating room. They further stated that a refusal would prevent the child's father from being present at the birth and block family members from visiting her before and after the delivery.
Despite these arguments, legal documents obtained by Us Weekly revealed that Kelley reportedly has no contact with her biological family in Tennessee. The filings specifically singled out her biological mother, Wynonna Judd, noting that Kelley receives no contact or support from that side of her family.
To undergo the scheduled C-section procedure, Kelley will be transported from the prison facility to the hospital by officers from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, according to court documents.
Following her eventual release from Rockingham County Jail, Kelley is scheduled to begin five years of supervised probation.
Previous Custody and Parole Release
Kelley is already the mother of a four-year-old daughter named Kaliyah Grace. Kaliyah was delivered during a temporary prison release in 2022 and has remained in the primary custody of her grandmother, Wynonna Judd, amidst Kelley's recurring legal troubles.
According to reports by The Daily Beast, Kelley previously gave birth to Kaliyah following a May 2023 arrest for violating her parole and breaching a restraining order. During that case, judicial authorities granted her a short leave from custody to give birth before requiring her to return to prison to finish out her sentence.
Wynonna Judd is an acclaimed American country music performer known for her long career both as a solo artist and as part of the country music duo The Judds alongside her mother, Naomi Judd.
Recent Arrests in Alabama and Georgia
Kelley has faced multiple law enforcement interventions throughout 2024, beginning with an arrest in April in Millbrook, Alabama, after allegedly exposing her breasts and lower body while walking beside a busy highway.
She was initially charged with two misdemeanors, indecent exposure and obstructing government operations, with a third charge of soliciting prostitution added later that month. Millbrook Police Chief P K Johnson told DailyMail.com that Kelley had been holding a roadside sign that read "A Ride for a Ride."
The soliciting prostitution charge was later dropped by prosecutors, while the indecent exposure count was reduced to a lesser charge of public lewdness.
Months later, on August 3, 2024, Kelley was arrested in rural Georgia and booked into the Carroll County Jail. Records show she was charged with misdemeanor counts of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and failing to use motorcycle equipment properly.
Stolen Vehicle Charges and Substance Abuse
Kelley was also accused of stealing a pastor's van in rural Virginia in August 2024. The pastor, who resides in a rural area 20 miles from the nearest town, told DailyMail.com he suspected Kelley snuck into his trailer while he was attending his son's baseball game.
The pastor reported finding a bag and shoes believed to belong to Kelley inside the trailer after returning home. When he noticed his van was missing, he got into another vehicle and attempted to box her in to halt the joyride.
Police officers eventually intercepted the vehicle and arrested Kelley. Law enforcement officials stated that upon her arrest, Kelley allegedly told officers that she had sold her soul to the devil.
Police records state that toxicological testing conducted that evening showed Kelley tested positive for heroin use. The pastor noted that insurance adjusters later declared the stolen van a total loss following her subsequent arrest in Georgia.
Kelley's prior criminal record extends back several years, featuring earlier arrests for methamphetamine production, evading arrest, and driving while intoxicated.
