Josh Duggar continues to make headlines after his April 2021 arrest on child pornography charges.
After his defense team petitioned the court to delay his trial from July 6, 2021, to February 2022 last week, the prosecution has now filed a response to their motion.
The former reality TV star’s attorneys asked for a postponement to have ample time to look over the discovery and investigate some issues further. It was also noted that Josh’s high-profile attorney, Justin Gelfand, had scheduling conflicts that could impact the trial, but they would be resolved ahead of the February 2022 date they asked for.
Prosecution responds to Josh Duggar’s motion to postpone
According to People, the prosecution is countering the request with an allowance of a three-month delay. So instead of July 6, 2021, the trial would begin sometime in October 2021.
It was noted that the government responded by saying, “A continuance of approximately three (3) months will resolve most of defense counsel’s calendar-related issues. Thereafter, if any remaining trials factually pose a conflict, a subsequent motion can be filed stating such with specificity. In that instance, the Court then could appropriately tailor the length of the continuance to the actual conflict, so as to not result in unnecessary delay.”
The publication also revealed that the defense was given all of the discovery in a timely manner, and there was complete disclosure. Prosecutors deny there is any valid reason to have the trial delayed until next year and have offered the three-month delay instead.
What will happen to Josh Duggar with the trial delayed?
After a bail hearing on May 5, 2021, Josh Duggar was put into the care of third-party custodians, Lacount and Maria Reber. They are housing him as he was not allowed to return to the Duggar compound where he lived with his wife, Anna Duggar, and their six children.
There hasn’t been any word about how the Rebers feel about the continuance being requested. However, safety concerns have arisen since Josh moved in with them, including a 9-1-1 call made after a trespasser was found on their property. That prompted Jim Bob Duggar to allegedly offer to build a fence around the family’s property.
While out on bail, Josh is allowed to see any adult member of his family. He is also allowed to be with his wife and kids for an unlimited amount of time but cannot be with his underage siblings or any other underage person.
If convicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography, he could face several years in prison and hefty fines.
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