Joseph Duggar and his wife Kendra Duggar have made a last-minute legal move that could dramatically change the direction of their Arkansas case.
The former reality TV couple was expected to appear in court Monday over child endangerment and false imprisonment charges, but instead submitted a plea by order.
The development allows them to change their pleas to guilty or no contest, while Joseph’s separate Florida case remains unaffected and is expected to continue.
4Joseph and Kendra Duggar were charged in March following a search of their Tontitown, Arkansas, home.
The search came after Joseph’s arrest in Florida in a separate case in which he was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12-years-old.
During the Arkansas search, officers discovered locks on the exteriors of doors leading to the children’s bedrooms. Prosecutors subsequently charged the couple with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment.
Kendra was arrested March 20 and booked into the same jail where her husband was being held while awaiting extradition over the Florida case. The couple had been expected in Arkansas court Monday, but their plea by order allowed them to avoid the appearance and potentially change their pleas to guilty or no contest.
According to the Daily Mail, the judge handling the Arkansas case is now expected to accept the filing and determine the couple’s sentence. If convicted on all eight counts, Joseph and Kendra could face up to eight years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
While the Arkansas plea development marks a significant change for Joseph Duggar and his wife, it does not alter the separate criminal case against Joseph in Florida.
Kendra’s Parents Set To Testify Against Joseph At Sexual Assault Trial
4Joseph Duggar’s upcoming Florida trial is expected to bring an unusual family dynamic into the courtroom, with his wife Kendra’s parents among the witnesses prosecutors intend to call.
Christina and Gene “Paul” Caldwell are two of five witnesses listed for the prosecution in the 31-year-old’s case, according to a court notice obtained by PEOPLE.
The other expected witnesses include the teenage girl accusing Joseph and two law enforcement officials involved in the investigation.
The Caldwells are expected to appear at the Office of the State Attorney in Panama City, Florida, on September 14 so Joseph’s attorney, Albert J. Sauline III, can take their depositions for potential use at trial. The teenage accuser is also expected to testify.
Joseph pleaded not guilty in March to two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior. He was released on $600,000 bail and remains prohibited from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 18. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
Joseph Duggar Case Continued With Next Court Date Set For September 15
4The legal proceedings have continued moving forward even as the case heads toward additional witness depositions.
At a July 14 pretrial hearing in Florida, Joseph’s attorney appeared before Judge Brantley S. Clark Jr., while the former reality star himself was not present.
WJHG reported that Joseph’s attorney had filed a “waiver of presence” allowing his client to miss the hearing. The defense also indicated that the state had received the discovery in the case ahead of the next stages of the proceedings.
The hearing did not result in a trial date. Instead, another court date was scheduled for September 15. The July hearing followed earlier disputes over Joseph’s pretrial restrictions.
His requests to modify certain court orders, including restrictions involving his children and the residence associated with his accuser, had previously been denied.
Joseph Requests Amendments To Two Court Orders
The court schedule followed an earlier attempt by Joseph Duggar to loosen some of the restrictions placed on him after his arrest.
During a June 16 hearing, he appeared remotely before a Florida judge and asked for amendments to two court orders governing his movements and contact with children.
One request concerned the restriction keeping him away from a property associated with the alleged victim. Joseph argued that the restriction interfered with his ability to access and maintain several rental properties he owns.
He also sought to have the requirement for supervised contact with his four children lifted, arguing that the children were not alleged victims in the Florida case.
The judge rejected both requests. Duggar was instead allowed only supervised contact with his children and remained subject to the restriction concerning the property.
Amy Duggar Says She Spoke With Girl Accusing Joseph Duggar Of Sexual Assault
4Amid the court drama, Joseph’s cousin Amy Duggar opened up about a deeply personal conversation she said she had with the girl at the center of the allegations.
As The Blast reported, Amy explained that she spoke with the teenager and wanted to offer her reassurance as she faced the legal proceedings.
“I just gave her hope. I said, ‘This doesn’t have to destroy you. It really truly doesn’t,’” Amy revealed. She also said she offered herself as someone the girl could turn to, adding, “I told her that if she ever just needed a safe place to talk, that I’m here.”
Amy praised the girl for coming forward despite the possibility of backlash. “You speaking out and you being so honest and vulnerable, knowing the backlash and knowing the people that would turn their backs on you and not believe you, you are such a strong person,” she recalled telling her.
She also discussed her reaction to Joseph’s arrest, saying she immediately called his sister Jill Dillard while crying.
