{"id":241113,"date":"2026-05-19T16:30:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/joseph-duggar-scores-legal-win-ahead-of-trial-asks-to-see-kids\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T16:30:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T16:30:34","slug":"joseph-duggar-scores-legal-win-ahead-of-trial-asks-to-see-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/joseph-duggar-scores-legal-win-ahead-of-trial-asks-to-see-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Joseph Duggar Scores Legal Win Ahead of Trial, Asks to See Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Disgraced former reality star Joseph Duggar is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Though he reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/03\/joseph-duggar-confessed-to-molestation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confessed twice<\/a>, the father of four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/04\/joseph-duggar-plea-child-endangerment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pleaded not guilty<\/a> and is pushing ahead with his defense \u2014 which may force the young victim to testify.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph\u2019s legal team successfully convinced the court to grant access to investigators, so that his attorneys can grill child safety workers.<\/p>\n<p>He has also asked the court to allow him to see his own children, arguing that the victim in this case is not his relative.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"702\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-1024x702.png\" alt=\"Joseph Duggar has been arrested for the alleged molestation of a 9-year-old girl.\" class=\"wp-image-550927 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-1024x702.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-300x206.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-768x526.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-2048x1403.png 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-960x658.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-1080x740.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM-1200x822.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-19-at-7.45.57-AM.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joseph Duggar has been arrested for the alleged molestation of a 9-year-old girl.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Washington County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-this-is-a-small-legal-win-as-his-team-prepares-for-trial\">This is a small legal win as his team prepares for trial<\/h2>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/05\/19\/joseph-duggar-grill-dcfs-investigators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TMZ<\/a> <\/em>obtained court documents showing that the judge is giving Joseph considerable leeway in his defense.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, May 18, the court ruled that the latest disgraced Duggar\u2019s legal team may depose investigators as witnesses.<\/p>\n<p>That includes people from the Department of Children &amp; Families, the Child Protection Team, and the Children\u2019s Advocacy Center.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the records for these groups are usually protected by law \u2014 in the interests of continuing to protect children.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, in this case, the agencies will have to turn over evidence \u2014 videos, audio recordings, and physical evidence \u2014 as part of the discovery process, for Joseph\u2019s attorneys to review as they construct their case.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1024x667.png\" alt=\"Joseph Duggar has been extradited to Florida, where he'll be arraigned on child molestation charges.\" class=\"wp-image-551825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1024x667.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-768x501.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-2048x1335.png 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-960x626.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1080x704.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1200x782.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1024x667.png\" alt=\"Joseph Duggar has been extradited to Florida, where he'll be arraigned on child molestation charges.\" class=\"wp-image-551825 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1024x667.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-768x501.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-2048x1335.png 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-960x626.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1080x704.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM-1200x782.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-31-at-12.17.35-PM.png\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joseph Duggar has been extradited to Florida, where he\u2019ll be arraigned on child molestation charges.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Bay County Sheriff\u2019s Department)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In general, it sucks to think of an accused predators attorneys getting hold of evidence only to try to get it excluded from the trial, or to find \u201cexperts\u201d to testify that some piece of evidence is invalid.<\/p>\n<p>But to deny them access to key evidence that the prosecution will use to build their case would violate Joseph\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n<p>(We know that that doesn\u2019t sound bad. But we have to remember that some people accused of heinous things <em>are<\/em> innocent. We make no such claim about Joseph, of course.)<\/p>\n<p>When prosecutors withhold potentially exculpatory evidence from the defense, it is called a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brady_disclosure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brady violation<\/a>. You are not allowed to do that. <\/p>\n<p>Just ask the prosecutor who went after Alec Baldwin a couple of years ago. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2024\/07\/alec-baldwin-shooting-trial-dismissed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How did that end?<\/a> It\u2019s not what anyone outside of the cult wants to happen at Joseph\u2019s trial.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Joseph Duggar requesting change to court order preventing unsupervised contact with his kids\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lp8FGZuM8XU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Joseph has not been permitted to communicate with his own children since early this spring.<\/p>\n<p>His attorneys argue that, since the victim in this case is not one of his own children,<\/p>\n<p>They also point out that, legally speaking, Joseph is considered innocent in the eyes of the law.<\/p>\n<p>That means that, though people may condemn him and loathe him, the court must balance public safety with the rights of a potentially innocent man.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Joseph\u2019s request for the no-contact order to be amended, the judge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwahomepage.com\/northwest-arkansas-news\/new-hearing-scheduled-in-joseph-duggars-florida-child-sex-crimes-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scheduled<\/a> a pretrial hearing for July, where the court will hear arguments.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Kendra Caldwell Duggar poses for her mugshot in March 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-551192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"\/><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Kendra Caldwell Duggar poses for her mugshot in March 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-551192 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0323_kendracaldwell_mugshot_01.png\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Following her arrest, Kendra Caldwell Duggar posed for a mugshot.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo Credit: Washington County Detention Center)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Joseph is not the only member of his family to be in trouble with the law. And no, this time, we\u2019re not referring to his incarcerated older brother, Joseph Duggar.<\/p>\n<p>He and Kendra are both facing multiple charges of false imprisonment and child endangerment. <\/p>\n<p>These charges stem from what investigators found when they searched the couple\u2019s Arkansas house \u2014 a search that was automatic, in light of Joseph\u2019s charges in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>Both Joseph and Kendra have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/04\/kendra-duggar-is-allowed-to-see-her-kids-again-following-not-guilty-plea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pleaded not guilty<\/a> to <em>those <\/em>charges, too.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear what arguments Joseph\u2019s team will present at the July hearing, or how the court will rule. <\/p>\n<p>But we know that the IBLP cult has historically instructed women to bring their children to see their incarcerated husbands \u2014 yes, even if the husband is a convicted predator. This is not exactly an unprecedented situation in the cult.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/05\/joseph-duggar-to-question-investigators-florida-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes Disgraced former reality star Joseph Duggar is accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020. Though he reportedly confessed twice, the father of four pleaded not guilty and is pushing ahead with his defense \u2014 which may force the young victim to testify. Joseph\u2019s legal team successfully convinced the court to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-241113","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}