Josh Duggar appeared in court in an attempt to appeal his prison sentence just four weeks after his brother Joseph Duggar was arrested.
Josh, 38, attended a Wednesday, April 15, court hearing in Fayetteville, Arkansas. According to a report from KHBS news, the former 19 Kids and Counting star appeared virtually from his Dallas prison. Per the outlet, much of Wednesday’s hearing was focused on whether or not Josh filed his required paperwork by the required deadline. A decision is expected to be made in the coming weeks.
Josh is currently set to be released from a Dallas prison on December 23, 2032. After he was found guilty in December 2021 of receiving and possessing child pornography, he was sentenced in May 2022 to 12 years and seven months behind bars. Since then, he has made numerous failed appeal attempts, though Wednesday’s hearing was scheduled after he hired a new attorney.
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Josh’s court appearance comes exactly four weeks after Joseph, 31, was arrested in Arkansas on March 18. The younger Duggar was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. The charges stemmed from multiple alleged incidents with Joseph and a then-9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation to Panama City Beach.
Joseph was extradited to Florida, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and requested a jury trial. He was released from police custody after posting his $600,000 bond on March 31. Joseph subsequently reunited with his wife, Kendra Duggar, and returned to Arkansas.
Days after his younger brother’s arrest, Josh spoke out in a statement from his attorney.
“Josh Duggar does not know the details of the claims that have been made against his brother, Joseph. But, he knows the media frenzy that any incident regarding his family creates,” Josh’s lawyer told Us Weekly on March 20. “He feels for his brother because everything is amplified out of proportion by the media interest in his family. This makes the pain of the criminal justice process exponentially worse.”
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The statement continued, “Josh prays for his brother. And hopes that he can stay strong. He too has felt the crushing wave of accusation that is powered by the media spectacle to which his family is subjected.”
Earlier that day, Josh’s attorney told the Daily Mail that he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Joseph’s arrest while also slamming the “false accusations” against his brother amid “stigma.”
“He lives with the painful reality of how false accusations can destroy a life,” the statement said. “He understands how the targeting of a person for publicity can twist the truth into sensationalized fiction.”
While Joseph was behind bars, Josh’s wife, Anna Duggar, reached out to show her support for her brother-in-law, according to email records obtained by Us.
“You’ve got our prayers. We love you — however we can help, please let us know,” Anna, 37, wrote to Joseph on March 21. “I think I put some money on your books. I don’t remember how phone calls and video calls work.”
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She added, “Please let me know if I can help get things set up so you can call and talk with Kendra. Just remember, don’t talk about anything legal unless you are with an attorney. Everything said in these messages, phone calls and video chats are recorded and turned over to prosecutors.”
Earlier this month, Us shared an update on Anna’s life amid Josh’s prison stint.
“Anna has several family members who have strongly encouraged her to leave Josh,” a source exclusively told Us. “It has been very difficult to have those conversations because Anna has always been so supportive of Josh, but the family felt that they had to let her know their thoughts.”
For Anna — who shares seven children with Josh — the situation is “a nightmare … that she will be dealing with for many, many years to come,” the insider said. “The only positive thing right now is that he is out of the picture [while in prison].”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
