Summary
- Josh Duggar's appeal to overturn his conviction has been officially terminated, leaving him behind bars after being involved in scandals prior to his arrest.
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld Josh's conviction, rejecting his legal team's efforts to suppress incriminating statements he made to federal authorities.
- Motions for time extensions on the appeal caused the review process to take over a year.
19 Kids & Counting alum Josh Duggar's appeal to overturn his conviction has been officially terminated, according to court documents, leaving the reality TV personality behind bars. Josh was originally arrested in mid-2021 but had been involved in scandals prior to his arrest and was already publicly ostracized when the charges against him were announced. Josh is a part of the larger Duggar family, who became notable in the 2000's for their series that explored their large growing Fundamentalist family. Josh married his wife Anna Duggar in 2008 and the couple has seven children together.
In documents obtained by InTouch, it was revealed that Josh's legal team originally filed an appeal earlier this year, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit made the decision to uphold his conviction. The appeal, which was filed in June 2022, was an effort to "suppress incriminating statements" Josh made to authorities. There were motions filed for time extensions on the appeal, which explains why it took over a year to be reviewed. While Josh is in prison on charges relating to possessing sexually explicit images of minors, he was also given an extended sentence for allegedly possessing a cell phone earlier this year.
Why Did Josh Duggar Request New Trial?
Josh's legal team initially filed a request for a new trial to get potentially damaging evidence thrown out of his case. Josh's legal team has also argued against his treatment during a raid at his business a year prior to his arrest, explaining that Josh was "deprived...of the ability to communicate with legal counsel" at the time. The court system has denied Josh's appeals, leaving his team incapable of requesting any more extensions. The legal team felt that this was enough of a case for a mistrial. The first denial of the appeal was made in August 2023 by a lower court, then moved to a higher court.
Josh's high-profile conviction has been a point of contention in the Duggar family, who has gone relatively quiet after he was initially arrested. For several of Josh's family members, their silence is a choice to actively support Josh's wrongdoings. Josh's sisters, Jessa Duggar Seewald and Jill Duggar Dillard, have both come out against their brother after his abuse towards them in the past, making it clear that they do not stand with his choices or support him in any way. The family has recently been explored along with other Fundamentalist families in Shiny Happy People, a successful documentary that went in-depth on the large family.
Josh has been in jail for over two years. While his sentence was originally supposed to be just 12.5 years long, after being caught with a cell phone behind bars, his sentence was extended, and it is now unclear just how long he will be incarcerated for. Though his legal team has tried to get the 19 Kids & Counting alum some sort of reprieve during his incarceration, it is unlikely that he'll be able to file another appeal or change much moving forward.
Sources: InTouch, Jill Duggar Dillard/Instagram