Josh Duggar has made a surprising admission in his in his latest attempt to overturn his conviction for possessing child sexual abuse materials.
The 37-year-old former star of 19 Kids And Counting is requesting that the judge overseeing his case appoint a new lawyer to represent him.
And in a letter written to the judge on Tuesday and obtained by People, the convicted sex offender claimed he needed a court-appointed attorney because he no longer has enough money to pay his own lawyer.
‘I am unable to afford counsel due to my current financial circumstances,’ he reportedly wrote.
Duggar — whose bid for an appeal was considered by the US 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.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail’s new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
In a letter written Tuesday to a judge overseeing his case, Josh Duggar requested a new lawyer; seen in an undated photo from the Washington County, Arkansas, Detention Center
According to People, the 37-year-old convicted sex offender admitted that he could no longer afford to pay for an lawyer, so he is requesting a court-appointed attorney; seen in 2015 with with Anna Duggar
In his letter, Duggar went on to reveal that 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.’
Read More
Supreme Court makes decision on reality star Josh Duggar's child porn appeal
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 had been ‘errors in the admission of forensic evidence.’
The former reality star reportedly 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.
Duggar claimed there may have been ‘constitutional violations’ in his trial, and he hoped that the judge would appoint an attorney to explore ways to have his conviction vacated
Josh’s parents are reportedly worth several million dollars. Jim Bob is worth $3.5M, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and his daughter Jill Duggar has claimed he made around $8M on their TLC reality shows; Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar pictured in 2010 in Washington, DC
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 $3.5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and he has a significant real estate portfolio.
Read More
Josh Duggar's 12-year prison sentence for child pornography conviction extended by almost two months – as he 'remains in solitary' after being caught with contraband cell phone
Josh’s sister Jill Duggar previously alleged in her 2023 memoir that the family’s contract with TLC — which aired their reality series — 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 $8 million just on 19 Kids And Counting over the course of its run.
Jill alleged that her father had misled her into signing a multi-year commitment to the series, and after she and her husband moved away and no longer could appear on it, he only paid them out $175,000.
Jim Bob and Michelle have steadfastly defended their son Josh 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.
Jim Bob and Michelle have steadfastly defended their son Josh for years, but that doesn’t appear to extend to paying for his attorney; pictured with future US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee
FCI Seagoville, the prison where Josh Duggar was sent to serve his 12.5 year sentence
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.
Although Duggar is asking for a court-appointed attorney to explore options to vacate his conviction, his appeal was previously denied by the US Supreme Court in 2024
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 — who had been forced to resign as a lobbyist for the right-wing Family Research Council — publicly apologized months later for having cheated on his wife Anna, and he claimed he had been seeking treatment for an addiction to pornography.
He and Anna share seven children.