Josh Duggar requests state-appointed lawyer as he can't afford one anymore

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

Pedophile Josh Duggar has requested the judge overseeing his case appoint a new lawyer to represent him in his latest attempt to overturn his conviction for possessing child sexual abuse materials.
In a letter written to the judge on Tuesday and obtained by People, the convicted sex offender, 37, said he no longer has enough money to pay his own lawyer.
He wrote: 'I am unable to afford counsel due to my current financial circumstances.'
Duggar - whose bid for an appeal was considered by the Supreme Court last year - was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison in May 2022 after he was convicted of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse materials.
In his letter, he said he was seeking to obtain a new attorney to help determine if there may have been any 'constitutional violations' in his case, which could be grounds for having his conviction vacated.
He added that, 'if appropriate,' the attorney would 'prepare a motion to vacate, set aside, or correct my conviction and sentence'.
Duggar claimed this his trial had 'involved complex constitutional and evidentiary issues, particularly relating to legal rulings and strategic decisions made during trial proceedings,' and he alleged there were 'errors in the admission of forensic evidence'.
He went on to accuse prosecutors of not fully sharing evidence with his attorneys during his trial.
He also wrote that the 'broad publicity of this case' and the 'intense scrutiny' it received could justify a 'full and fair post-conviction review'.
Duggar claimed that 'new legal theories and strategies have emerged in public discourse' in the years since his conviction that could be beneficial to his defense.
'In light of these developments, the Defendant seeks to consult with counsel to fully evaluate the potential of these emerging strategies and how they may support a motion for relief,' he wrote, according to People.
Duggar also wrote that he had 'worked diligently to focus on education, personal growth, my faith, and to maintain strong family ties' in his letter.
His claim that he can no longer afford an attorney was particularly surprising due to the reported wealth of his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.
Jim Bob is reportedly worth $3.5million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and he has a significant real estate portfolio.
Duggar's sister Jill alleged in her 2023 memoir the family's contract with TLC - which aired their reality series 19 Kids And Counting - paid Jim Bob's company $50,000 per half-hour episode and $65,000 per hour-long episode, according to In Touch.
The payments increased to $58,000 and $73,000, respectively, once the show reached its fourth season.
She claimed that, after factoring in his alleged per-episode payments, Jim Bob would have made around $8million just on 19 Kids And Counting over the course of its run.
Jim Bob and Michelle have steadfastly defended their son for years, but that doesn't appear to extend to paying for his attorney.
The series, which began as 17 Kids And Counting, began airing in 2008 and was canceled in 2019 due to Josh's arrest for possessing child sexual abuse materials.
He previously filed an appeal in 2023, and after being rejected it went up to the Supreme Court, which also rejected it.
The federal investigation into Duggar was originally opened after police in Little Rock, Arkansas, determined that child sexual abuse materials had been shared by a computer at his used-car dealership.
Investigators testified in court that his computer had been used to download images of children being sexually abused, with some of the victims appearing to be toddlers.
When investigators searched the dealership, Duggar allegedly said, 'What is this all about? Has somebody been downloading child pornography?'
The statement, and his refusal to say whether he had looked at child sexual abuse materials online, were later used against him in court, but Duggar claimed in his appeal that the statement shouldn't have been introduced in court, as his attorney wasn't present when he spoke to investigators.
But the appeals panel later determined that, although investigators had read Duggar his rights, they also made it clear that he wasn't in custody and was able to leave at any time.
During his trial, Duggar's defense team had claimed that a hacker or disgruntled employee had hacked into his computer in an attempt to frame him.
In 2015, his reality series 19 Kids And Counting was put on hold by TLC after allegations that he had molested four of his sister and a babysitter years earlier became public.
A family friend shared the tip with law enforcement, but the statute of limitations had expired by that time.
Duggar's parents later said he had admitted to molesting his sisters and apologized privately after the allegations resurfaced.
Duggar publicly apologized months later for having cheated on his wife Anna, and he claimed he had been seeking treatment for an addiction to pornography.