What to Know
As if Joseph Duggar’s arrest wasn’t shocking enough, it really threw people for a loop to find out that his wife, Kendra Duggar, had been arrested just days later for charges related to a totally different situation. Now that the dust is beginning to settle, more and more details about the situation seem to be emerging — including intel from an insider who claims that Kendra could be facing up to eight years behind bars.
Kendra turned herself in on Friday.
Following the news that Kendra had been hit with charges from Arkansas’ Washington County on Friday, just hours later, she turned herself in at the jail, though she was processed pretty quickly and released on bail, with mother-in-law Michelle Duggar picking her up.
Though Joseph had been arrested earlier that week following allegations that he molested a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation, he and Kendra were both charged separately with four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of false imprisonment. The fact that it all happened so quickly left many confused, especially since the police were clear that the new round of charges had nothing to do with the situation that led to Joseph’s arrest two days earlier.
She could be hit with serious jail time if convicted.
According to what a source close to the Duggars told People on Monday, Kendra’s charges were related to her own four children during the investigation into Joseph’s initial round of charges.
“I can tell you the arrest was a result of a home inspection, and the door locks being on the exterior of the doors,” the insider said.
While these charges are misdemeanors, if Kendra is convicted on all eight counts, she could be facing eight years behind bars (along with any applicable fines). However, there is a chance that her sentence could be served concurrently instead of consecutively, which could mean she could spend much less time in jail.
At the same time, a spokesperson for the family confirmed to People that Kendra’s charges are “totally unrelated” to Joseph’s, adding, “She’s not suspected or accused of participating in his alleged crime.”
At this point, it’s hard to say what the future holds for Joe and Kendra.
Though Kendra is free again, she will eventually have her day in court — and so will Joseph, who local outlet Wane reported will go before a judge on April 29. In the meantime, he’s still awaiting extradition to Florida, where his first charges stemmed from.
At this point, there’s no word on where Kendra’s children are living (or if they’re allowed to remain with their mom), but these cases certainly do seem to be moving fast. It likely won’t be long until we find out what’s happening next.
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