Josh Duggar is still fighting to overturn his child porn conviction, this time by claiming he’s flat broke and can’t afford a lawyer.
On May 27, the former 19 Kids and Counting star wrote a letter to the judge handling his case asking for a court-appointed attorney. Duggar, now 37, said he no longer has the funds to keep paying for legal help as he tries to challenge his 2022 conviction for receiving and possessing child pornography.
“I am unable to afford counsel due to my current financial circumstances,” Duggar wrote in the filing, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. He’s hoping a court-appointed lawyer will help him evaluate if there were “constitutional violations” in his trial and, if so, assist with a motion to “vacate, set aside, or correct” his conviction and sentence. Duggar is currently serving over 12 years in federal prison.
He went on to say his original trial involved “complex constitutional and evidentiary issues,” specifically pointing to “legal rulings and strategic decisions made during trial proceedings,” and claimed there were “errors in the admission of forensic evidence.” Duggar also alleged that the prosecution failed to disclose all the evidence it had, which he believes should be grounds for a full post-conviction review, especially considering the “broad publicity of this case” and the “intense scrutiny” of the trial.
The letter added that “new legal theories and strategies” have emerged since his trial that might apply to his case. Duggar wants to meet with legal counsel to explore these new options and determine if they can support a motion for post-conviction relief. He emphasized his need for help in making sense of those potential legal angles, particularly given how high-profile and controversial his case has become.
This move comes after a series of failed appeals. In October 2023, Duggar filed for an appeal, which was rejected. He then tried his luck with the U.S. Supreme Court, only to be denied again nearly a year later. Now, out of money and legal wins, he’s turning to the court for help just to keep his case alive.
Duggar, who was once the wholesome poster boy of 19 Kids and Counting, has maintained his innocence ever since Homeland Security agents first uncovered disturbing content on a computer at his workplace in 2019. The feds found that Duggar had set up a hidden partition on his work desktop so he could secretly download and watch child pornography, some of which involved children under 10 being sexually abused.
Despite his defense team’s efforts to argue that Duggar could’ve been hacked or exploited, the jury didn’t buy it. They found him guilty, and the sentence was handed down in 2022. At the time, Homeland Security’s resident agent-in-charge, Billy Riggins, said bluntly, “A child predator has been brought to justice.”
To make matters worse, during the investigation, more disturbing facts came to light. It was revealed that Duggar had allegedly molested several underage girls, among them were his own sisters, Jill Duggar Dillard and Jessa Duggar Seewald, when he was between 12 and 15 years old. That history added a chilling layer to the already horrifying charges against him.
While in prison, Duggar claims he’s trying to turn his life around. He said he’s been working on “education, personal growth, my faith, and maintaining strong family ties.” A married father of seven, Duggar hasn’t given up the fight to clear his name, but now, he’s doing it without money and hoping the courts will give him one last shot with a public defender.
Whether this plea for free legal help leads to a new trial or another dead end remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, Josh Duggar isn’t done trying to rewrite his story.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to connect with a certified crisis counselor.
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