Change of plans. Josh Duggar was set to begin his trial next month following his April arrest, but it will still be months before he appears in front of the court.
Though the 33-year-old requested to push the trial back until February 2022, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly, a judge granted Duggar’s motion to extend the trial date by just four months. Instead of pretrial proceedings commencing on Thursday, July 1, as previously reported, his conference will begin on November 18. The rescheduled trial date is November 30.
The former reality star was arrested and taken into custody at the Washington County jail in Arkansas in April. He was charged with receiving and possessing child pornography, and if found guilty, could face up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for each count.
Duggar’s attorney entered his not guilty plea on his behalf during an April hearing. At the time, his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, issued a lengthy statement acknowledging the controversy and thanking fans of their TLC series for their support.
“The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious. It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner. We love Josh and Anna [Duggar] and continue to pray for their family,” the couple noted in a statement to Us.
Shortly before news of his arrest made headlines, Josh’s wife, 33, announced that she’s pregnant with the pair’s seventh child. The duo, who tied the knot in 2008, are the parents of Mackynzie, 11, Michael, 10, Marcus, 8, Meredith, 5, Mason, 3, and Maryella, 19 months.
Josh and Anna previously appeared on the family’s first reality show, 19 Kids and Counting, which was canceled in 2015 following Josh’s molestation and cheating scandals. Other family members returned for a spinoff series, Counting On, which debuted later that same year. On Tuesday, June 29, TLC confirmed that they cut ties with the Duggar family after Josh’s recent arrest.
“TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On,” the network said in a statement to Us. “TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately.”
The network previously addressed the drama in April, asserting that although some Duggar siblings have continued to work with TLC, Josh was not involved in any of the family’s content since 2015.
“TLC is saddened to learn about the continued troubles involving Josh Duggar,” the network noted at the time. “19 Kids and Counting has not aired since 2015. TLC canceled the show on the heels of prior allegations against Josh Duggar and he has not appeared on air since then.”
With reporting by Marjorie Hernandez
