Josh Duggar asks for child pornography trial to be delayed until 2022
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Attorneys for former “19 Kids and Counting” star Josh Duggar have requested the trial date be pushed back to after February 2022.
Duggar is charged in a two-count indictment, alleging one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He was booked into the Washington County Jail on April 29 and released on May 5.
According to the motion, the defense has retained an independent computer forensic expert who must conduct a computer forensic examination of each of the devices at issue – a time-consuming process that requires review at a government facility for the one device the prosecution alleges contained child
pornography.
The defense’s computer forensic expert anticipates her review and subsequent analysis of the relevant evidence may take several months.
Duggar’s lead counsel, Justin Gelfand, has federal criminal trials scheduled to begin in July 2021, September 2021, September 2021, October 2021 and November 2021 — all of which were scheduled in rapid succession due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Partial conditions of his May 5 release
- Home custody with GPS monitoring
- Live with a third-party custodian
- Restricted to the home at all times except for court obligations, church, etc. Additional locations must be pre-approved by the probation officer.
- Report to the probation officer.
- No possession or viewing erotica at any time
- No possession of the internet and electronics. Not ask or obtain password(s) of the third-party custodian.
- Contact allowed with his children as long as his wife is present.
- Not possess control substances, no firearms, surrender passport, and not obtain one.
- The residence must not have minor children.
- If any conditions are violated an additional prison sentence of up to 10 years may be imposed.