Karen Huger Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison After DUI but Will Only Serve 1 Behind Bars

Karen Huger was back in a Montgomery County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Feb. 26, where she was officially sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended, for her ongoing drunk driving case.

The Real Housewives of Potomac star, 61, — dressed in all black and with her husband of 28 years, Ray, by her side — will have to serve five years probation. She has 30 days to appeal the judge's decision, and 90 days to ask the judge to reconsider his order.

While taken into custody, Huger told her husband, "You will be alright" and that "God's got you," a source on the scene tells PEOPLE.

PEOPLE has reached out to Huger's rep for comment.

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Huger was arrested in March 2024 after a single-vehicle crash into a street sign, three miles from her house. Body cam footage later released from the scene showed a visibly intoxicated Huger stumbling and slurring her words while speaking with police, the "Grand Dame" invoking the names of everyone from her Housewives boss Andy Cohen to deceased President Abraham Lincoln in the process while admitting to having had "a couple of beers."

She was officially charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.

Other charges include failure to control vehicle speed on the highway to avoid a collision, driving a vehicle in excess of reasonable and prudent speed on the highway, driving a vehicle on the highway with suspended registration and failure to notify administration of change of address within 30 days.

Related: Andy Cohen Reacts to RHOP Star Karen Huger's Guilty DUI Verdict: 'It's Very Sad' (Exclusive)

In December, a jury found Huger guilty on all charges except reckless driving.

“Although we are disappointed in the jury’s verdict, we of course respect their decision and appreciate their time hearing our case," Huger's then-attorney, A. Scott Bolden, told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement at the time. "We continue to reserve Mrs. Huger’s right to an appeal and intend to fully pursue justice on her behalf. We appreciate your support and prayers for Mrs. Huger and her family at this time."

Then, in January, Huger entered into a private recovery program in Florida to, as she later explained, "get to the bottom" of "taking antidepressants and drinking." The visit meant that she couldn't attend the taping of the RHOP season 9 reunion, and had to have her sentencing pushed back while she also replaced her legal team.

Surprisingly, Huger did appear at the reunion, in the form of two videos — one taken the day of sentencing and another, after she had made the decision to enter rehab.

The first video featured Huger getting candid about her relationship with alcohol, insisting she doesn't have an issue. "No, I’m not an alcoholic, let’s be clear," she said, before telling her fans, "do as I say, not as I do."

Asked about her reaction to the verdict being read, Huger recalled, “My heart dropped.”

“This is very frightening but I accept full responsibility for everything that went on with my car accident," she said, noting that her first priority was her family during this time. "I don’t care about me right now. I care about my children, I care about my family. They are so hurt.”

Related: 16 Real Housewives Stars Who've Been Arrested

Later, Huger thanked some of her past and present cast mates for their support. Cohen got a shout-out, too, with Huger telling him, "Your notes meant the world to me. They were always on time."

Huger ended her message by noting that though she's known as the Grand Dame, she plans on "coming back as Karen Huger only, because Karen is enough."

Her words brought costar Gizelle Bryant to tears. "That is my friend," Bryant said. "I’ve heard too many things to count of Karen doing kind of reckless things. My prayer has always been, ‘She needs to get some help.’ And not in a shady way and not to tear her down as a person. She’s a beautiful person. So... this makes me feel like, ‘Oh, she really realizes this is it.’ "

Related: Karen Huger Slams RHOP Costars for Their 'Painful' Remarks About Her DUI: 'Are You Wishing Me Harm?'

Earlier this month, Huger's new attorney, David Martella, opened up to the Washington Post about the "profound impact" this has had on Huger, noting the trial itself was "a wake-up call."

"She was shocked with embarrassment," Martella said, noting that since her return from her 28-day treatment center, Huger has been active in Alcoholics Anonymous.

But prosecutor Jordan Kramer reportedly noted in filings obtained by the outlet that Huger had three previous alcohol-related traffic cases between 2006 and 2011, including one in which she was found guilty for driving while impaired and another in which she was found guilty for driving under the influence.

Read the original article on People