FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Former reality TV star Josh Duggar is asking a federal judge for an attorney to help file a motion to vacate his 2021 child pornography conviction, according to court documents.
(Courtesy: Washington County Detention Center)
Duggar, 37, filed a motion without an attorney in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas on Tuesday.
“The defendant requests counsel for the limited purpose of reviewing the record, evaluating possible constitutional claims, and, if meritorious grounds exist, preparing and filing a motion,” Duggar wrote in the seven-page filing.
Duggar, who is currently serving more than 12 years at the Seagoville Federal Corrections Institution in Texas, continued in his filing, saying, “As time has unfolded, new legal theories and strategies have emerged in public discourse that may be relevant to the defendant’s case.”
Duggar wrote that in light of those developments, he is seeking “to consult with counsel to fully evaluate the potential of these emerging strategies and how they may support a motion for relief.”
Josh Duggar convicted of possessing child pornography
The former star of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” was convicted of possessing child pornography on Dec. 9, 2021, and sentenced on May 25, 2022. In addition to his sentence, he was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine.
In 2023, a federal appeals court rejected Duggar’s appeal of his sentence, and last year, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
Duggar said that since he is incarcerated, he can’t afford a lawyer on his own.