{"id":256854,"date":"2026-08-11T12:42:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T12:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/11\/joseph-duggar-kendra-caldwell-abruptly-withdraw-not-guilty-pleas-in-child-endangerment-case\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T12:42:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T12:42:01","slug":"joseph-duggar-kendra-caldwell-abruptly-withdraw-not-guilty-pleas-in-child-endangerment-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/11\/joseph-duggar-kendra-caldwell-abruptly-withdraw-not-guilty-pleas-in-child-endangerment-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Joseph Duggar &#038; Kendra Caldwell Abruptly Withdraw &#8216;Not Guilty&#8217; Pleas in Child Endangerment Case"},"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>Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell just changed things up with their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/04\/joseph-duggar-plea-child-endangerment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">child endangerment court case<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>(It is an understatement to say that this court case is not Joseph\u2019s biggest legal issue at present, as he is accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl.)<\/p>\n<p>Just hours before their scheduled court date, they withdrew their respective <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\">not guilty pleas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What does this mean?<\/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-what-are-joseph-and-kendra-s-new-pleas\">What are Joseph and Kendra\u2019s new pleas?<\/h2>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/kendra-duggar-husband-joseph-to-learn-fate-in-child-endangerment-case-12037770\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">People<\/a> <\/em>reports that Joseph and Kendra withdrew their pleas of not guilty on Monday, August 10.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they submitted a \u201cplea by order\u201d to the court and were able to avoid the hearing.<\/p>\n<p>Presumably, this means that Joseph and Kendra plan to either plead guilty or to plead no contest to the charges.<\/p>\n<p>The judge will need to review the case and the couple\u2019s updated response to the charges, and then determine what penalty they may face.<\/p>\n<p>For Joseph and Kendra, that could mean <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/03\/kendra-caldwell-facing-8-years-in-prison-following-police-home-inspection-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">up to eight years in prison<\/a>. Though perhaps they hope to get off with a lesser sentence, such as a fine, by throwing themselves upon the mercy of the court.<\/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 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\" loading=\"lazy\" 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>The pleas are for the Arkansas case involving four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/03\/kendra-caldwell-arrested-for-child-endangerment-following-husband-joseph-duggars-molestation-arrest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kendra\u2019s arrest<\/a> followed Joseph\u2019s ostensibly unrelated arrest for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities performed an automatic search of their home, and whatever they discovered there was enough for eight charges against both parents.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/03\/kendra-caldwell-arrest-joseph-duggar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">source close to the Duggars claimed<\/a> that this was due to the locks on the children\u2019s doors, which allowed them to be sealed in their rooms like prisoners.<\/p>\n<p>However, the obviously biased source is not reliable. No one has been able to confirm what authorities may have <em>actually <\/em>found inside the home of the cult members.<\/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<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"thg-ytf\" data-ytid=\"J1tXNpY4UlY\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/J1tXNpY4UlY\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"New plea in Joseph and Kendra Duggar's Arkansas case\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/J1tXNpY4UlY\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"New plea in Joseph and Kendra Duggar's Arkansas case\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" class=\"lazyload\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video: New plea in Joseph and Kendra Duggar's Arkansas case\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"68\" height=\"48\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M66.5 7.7a8 8 0 0 0-5.6-5.7C56 .7 34 .7 34 .7s-22 0-26.9 1.3A8 8 0 0 0 1.5 7.7 83 83 0 0 0 .2 24a83 83 0 0 0 1.3 16.3 8 8 0 0 0 5.6 5.7C12 47.3 34 47.3 34 47.3s22 0 26.9-1.3a8 8 0 0 0 5.6-5.7A83 83 0 0 0 67.8 24a83 83 0 0 0-1.3-16.3z\" fill=\"#f00\"\/><path d=\"M27 34l18-10-18-10z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-does-this-change-things\">How does this change things?<\/h2>\n<p>The <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwaonline.com\/news\/2026\/aug\/10\/duggars-arkansas-cases-diverted-for-a-year-after\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette<\/a><\/em> shared a legal detail about Joseph and Kendra\u2019s plea by order.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, this change means that their case can be diverted by up to a full year.<\/p>\n<p>The local newspaper spoke to the court, who confirmed that cases against Joe and Kendra will remain open.<\/p>\n<p>As a reminder, Kendra gained permission to see her four children despite the charges against her.<\/p>\n<p>However, the court very sensibly denied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/06\/joseph-duggar-judge-denies-request-for-unsupervised-visits-with-his-kids\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joseph\u2019s request<\/a> for unsupervised visits.<\/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\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Kendra Caldwell under arrest.\" class=\"wp-image-551335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_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\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Kendra Caldwell under arrest.\" class=\"wp-image-551335 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0324_use_kendracaldwell_01.png\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this still from the Washington County Sheriff\u2019s Office, a handcuffed Kendra Caldwell Duggar sits and speaks to a law enforcement officer.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Image Credit: Washington County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Remember, though Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell are facing the same charges in Arkansas, he alone is also facing charges in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, he allegedly molested a 9-year-old girl. We do not know her identity (<em>nor should we<\/em>), only that she is not one of his own children and does not appear to be a Duggar.<\/p>\n<p>Her father recently learned of it and confronted Joseph, leading to his reported confession. He actually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/03\/joseph-duggar-confessed-to-molestation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confessed twice<\/a>, the second time being to a detective, according to an affidavit.<\/p>\n<p>In light of these reported confessions, his legal strategy remains murky, as he pleaded not guilty in the Florida case, too.<\/p>\n<p>It would be nice if his upcoming plea with Kendra is a harbinger of things to come with his other case. Right now, there are fears that the victim \u2014 who is in her early teens \u2014 might have to testify in court.<\/p>\n<p>If Joseph\u2019s legal strategy is to convince prosecutors to offer him a more generous deal to avoid putting her through that \u2026 well, that\u2019s an awful thought.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/08\/joseph-duggar-kendra-caldwell-court-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 3 minutes Joseph Duggar and Kendra Caldwell just changed things up with their child endangerment court case. (It is an understatement to say that this court case is not Joseph\u2019s biggest legal issue at present, as he is accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl.) Just hours before their scheduled court date, they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":256855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-256854","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\/256854","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=256854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}