Dalton Eatherly's legal team is fighting back hard. Attorney Jacob Fendley has already filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him, signaling they believe the case against the YouTube creator is far from open-and-shut.
Sources close to the situation say Chud's behavior on social media has been a major headache for his defense team. The judge's explicit mention of his online presence suggests those posts are already being used against him in court — and that's before trial even starts.
Bond was revoked by Judge Melissa Blackburn on June 17, 2026, citing 'what I've seen on social media and Mr. Eatherly's behavior.' His $1.25 million bail in the attempted murder case remains unpaid — meaning he's been sitting in custody since his arrest last month after allegedly shooting a man outside a Tennessee courthouse.
Chud the Builder built himself a pretty big online following, but he couldn't build his way out of this one. With $1.25 million hanging over his head and a judge who's clearly been watching his every move on social media, Dalton Eatherly's freedom is looking less like a maybe and more like a longshot.
Dalton Eatherly — better known to his YouTube followers as Chud the Builder — just watched his shot at freedom go up in smoke. On June 17, Judge Melissa Blackburn revoked the controversial creator's bond, officially locking him behind bars after he allegedly tried to kill a man outside a Tennessee courthouse while out on bail for an entirely separate incident. Here's how we got here: On May 9, Eatherly was arrested after walking out on a restaurant tab totaling nearly $400.
Prosecutors hit him with charges of theft of services, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest — but he posted bond and walked free within days. That freedom lasted approximately five minutes. Less than a week later, Chud allegedly shot another man, landing himself an attempted murder charge that violated the terms of his release agreement requiring him to stay out of trouble.
Judge Blackburn didn't mince words when she made her ruling. According to court proceedings, she stated the revocation was "Based on what I've seen on social media and Mr. Eatherly's behavior." That's a direct shot at the builder-turned-alleged-gunman, and it's the kind of language that doesn't bode well for his defense strategy moving forward.
His attorney, Jacob Fendley, has already filed a motion to dismiss the charges entirely — but on Wednesday, the court only heard arguments about revoking bail, not dismissing the case. The attempted murder case itself comes with some serious financial weight. Bail was set at $1.25 million, an amount Eatherly hasn't managed to post — which means he's been cooling his heels in custody since his arrest last month following the courthouse shooting.
He was photographed being wheeled away on a stretcher after the incident, and video quickly circulated showing the chaotic aftermath of what authorities describe as an attempted murder. For a content creator who built his brand on construction projects and home renovation content, this is a spectacular fall from grace. The judge's explicit reference to social media suggests prosecutors may be building their case around more than just the physical evidence — they're watching everything he posts, and apparently so is the court.
