This week on Legally Us, Rachael Bennett, a certified family law specialist and senior attorney at Sullivan Law & Associates, breaks down Joseph Duggar’s request for a jury trial in his child molestation case.
Duggar, 31, was taken into custody on March 19, on charges of 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 arrest came after a 14-year-old girl alleged that he molested her when they were on a 2020 vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Days later, Duggar filed a written not guilty plea and requested a jury trial, according to records reviewed by Luxury Handbag Shopping on March 29. Us also confirmed with the Bay County Jail on March 31 that he remains in custody in Florida.
“His request now for a jury trial, it seems like he’s hedging his bets in court that the prosecution may not be able to actually prove the case, and the jury is going to have to weigh the credibility of the witnesses and the testimony and the evidence,” Bennett explains to Us. “To take a case like this through trial is really testing the limits of the legal system, and certainly he’s entitled to avail himself of our legal system, but it does seem like he’s pushing the envelope here.”
Duggar’s bond was ultimately set at $600,000. The judge also ordered that Duggar have “no contact with the alleged victim” and “no unsupervised contact with any minors under the age of 18.”
Two days after Joseph’s arrest, his wife, Kendra Duggar, was also taken into custody and released later that same day on a $1,470 bond. Both are facing charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, along with four counts of second-degree false imprisonment.
Before her release, the Washington County District Attorney required Kendra, 27, to sign an agreement stating she would have “no contact” with any of her unnamed victims. The order also makes clear that she is prohibited from reaching out to them by phone (including text), in person, online, or through third parties.
“This is a very standard criminal protective order in Arkansas, it’s very standard that the courts will issue this for criminal cases involving child or domestic abuse, and especially in cases involving child abuse or endangerment,” Bennett tells Us. “These orders are very routine and are designed to ensure the safety of the children and to prevent any potential witness intimidation or interference.”
However, if Kendra violates the no-contact order, she could face “severe legal consequences.”
Bennett tells Us, “Her compliance with the order is a mandatory condition of her bail, so if she contacts the children, this would be a violation of her release terms, and the court could revoke her bond, issue a warrant for her arrest, and then she would be held in jail without any possibility of bail until her trial concludes, which could be months.”
For a full legal recap, watch the video above.
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.
