Joseph Duggar has suffered a legal setback after a Florida judge rejected his requests to change the conditions of his pretrial release, including his request to have unsupervised contact with his four children.
Joseph appeared remotely in court on June 16 for a motion hearing related to his ongoing criminal case. The former reality television personality had previously filed motions asking the court to modify restrictions placed on him while he awaits trial.
One request involved permission to work at several rental properties he owns, which would have placed him within 500 feet of his accuser. Another request asked for approval to spend time alone with his children without supervision.
The judge denied both requests.
During the hearing, the court addressed Joseph’s claim that he had been unable to see his children for months. The judge clarified that Joseph’s release conditions do not completely prevent him from having contact with his children — they only prohibit him from being alone with minors without supervision.
Joseph did not speak during the brief hearing other than thanking the judge at the conclusion. Unlike his first court appearance, where he appeared in a prison uniform, Joseph appeared through video wearing a suit and appeared clean-shaven.
The hearing lasted less than five minutes, and both Joseph’s attorney and prosecutors agreed to keep a scheduled July hearing date to address any final motions before the case moves toward trial in August.
Joseph is facing two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior connected to allegations involving a minor. He has entered a plea of not guilty and is currently awaiting trial while out on a $600,000 bond.
The allegations stem from an incident that prosecutors say occurred in 2020 during a family trip to Panama City Beach, Florida. According to court documents, the alleged victim, who was 9 years old at the time, reported several incidents of inappropriate behavior.
The affidavit states that the girl claimed Joseph repeatedly asked her to sit near him and described interactions that she said made her feel uncomfortable and confused. The allegations remain part of the criminal case, and Joseph has denied wrongdoing by entering a not guilty plea.
The case has created major changes for Joseph and his family. Shortly before the court hearing, Joseph and his wife Kendra Duggar listed one of their Arkansas rental properties for sale, with the home priced at more than $400,000.
The property had previously been occupied by members of Kendra’s family before Joseph’s legal troubles began.
As the August trial approaches, Joseph remains under strict court supervision while prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare for the next stage of the case. A conviction on the charges could carry serious legal consequences, while Joseph continues to maintain his not guilty plea.
