Josh Duggar has retained a new attorney as he fights to vacate his child pornography conviction.
Us Weekly can confirm Duggar, 38, retained Chicago attorney Beau B. Brindley, who previously represented singer R. Kelly in high-profile cases.
“Mr. Duggar’s family retained my office to represent him at his upcoming hearing. In the face of apparent injustice, my office will do everything in our power to expose prosecutorial misconduct that denied Mr. Duggar a fair trial,” Brindley said in a statement to Us. “Josh has been fighting against the federal justice system all alone, which is not a fair battle. By hiring my office, he has simply evened the score.”
Brindley filed motions to formally appear for Duggar in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville and to postpone a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, KNWA reported.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks approved both requests and allowed Brindley additional time to review the case. A new hearing date has yet to be announced.
Before obtaining a new lawyer, Duggar had been representing himself after the court denied multiple requests for court-appointed counsel.
Back in 2022, Duggar was convicted on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. The former Counting On star was ordered to spend nearly 12 years in federal prison.
In addition to the 151-month sentence, Duggar was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release, register as a sex offender and pay $50,000 in fines.
“Possessing and viewing child exploitation material is not a victimless crime – every time it’s downloaded or shared, it perpetuates the trauma and re-victimizes the child,” Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Dave Denton previously said in a statement. “Our special agents are deeply committed to investigating these crimes and pursuing anyone, regardless of circumstances, who preys on innocent members of our society.”
Duggar has taken steps to fight his conviction and alleged that his trial “involved complex constitutional and evidentiary issues, particularly relating to legal rulings and strategic decisions made during trial proceedings” and “errors in the admission of forensic evidence,” according to a filing obtained by People.
“As time has unfolded, new legal theories and strategies have emerged in public discourse that may be relevant to the Defendant’s case,” the documents alleged. “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.”
Josh first entered the spotlight because of his family’s TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting.
Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar‘s big family and religious lifestyle fascinated viewers when the show debuted in 2008. Cameras rolled as Josh married Anna Duggar that same year.
Although the show was canceled in 2015, the couple stayed together and are parents to seven children.
Read the full article here
