Even after a judge rejected Josh Duggar‘s appeal in his child pornography case in 2023 (and again in 2024), the former reality star hasn’t given up on trying to escape serving the rest of his sentence. But unfortunately for him, he’s hit yet another dead end. His request for a court-appointed lawyer has been denied in his latest attempt to have his case reconsidered, and it certainly seems like he’s running out of options at this point.
The motion he filed was denied last week.
As Arkansas local news affiliate KNWA reported on June 5, 2025, U.S. Magistrate Judge Christy Comstock said Josh’s motion “lacked sufficient detail” and thus didn’t justify his request.
According to the news outlet, if the “petition presents a nonfrivolous claim and other factors, such as legal or factual complexity, warrant assistance,” a lawyer could have been appointed, but in this case, it seems those standards weren’t met.
He asked for a court-appointed lawyer in May.
In the documents Josh filed, he claimed that “new legal theories and strategies [that] have emerged in public discourseā could help him fight his conviction, and because as an incarcerated person he is unable to afford an attorney on his own, he wanted the court to appoint one to him.
“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,ā read the documents he filed.
He wrote a letter to judge Timothy L. Brooks.
As The Sun reported, Josh wrote a letter to the judge who presided over his case when he was convicted and sentenced, Timothy L. Books, as part of his request.
“During my time of incarceration, I have worked diligently to focus on education, personal growth, my faith, and to maintain strong family ties,” Josh wrote in the letter. “However, as I review my case, I believe there are significant issues relating to trial errors, evidentiary rulings, and other constitutional violations that merit a thorough post-conviction review.”
He continued, “I am unable to fully assess these matters on my own, which is why I seek the assistance of qualified counsel to help evaluate whether relief is justified.”
At this point, it seems likely Josh will have to serve his full sentence.
Try as he might to have his conviction vacated, it appears the former 19 Kids & Counting star has officially run out of options.
He’s not due to be released from FCI Seagoville, the federal prison facility where he has been serving out his sentence, until October 2032, so he might want to get comfy if he hasn’t already. It’s going to be a while!
