Josh Duggar’s Sentencing: 1 Important Family Member Opted Not to Submit a Character Letter

Josh Duggar’s sentencing on two child pornography charges is just days away. His defense team submitted nearly a dozen character letters ahead of the hearing. The authors represent a diverse group of family and friends. Duggar family followers were quick to notice that one important family member failed to submit a statement on Josh’s behalf, though. A letter from Jim Bob Duggar, Josh Duggar’s father, was suspiciously absent from court records.

Jim Bob Duggar did not submit a character statement on behalf of Josh Duggar

In a sea of character letters, one important family member did not submit one. While 10 statements were released as public court records, none were signed by Jim Bob. The father of 19 appears to have some bigger fish to fry. Court documents from a lawsuit filed by the Duggar sisters paint Jim Bob as controlling, manipulative, and verbally abusive. Four Duggar sisters sued the city of Springdale after police reports were released that identified them as victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Josh Duggar. The lawsuit was dismissed.

Jim Bob wasn’t the only Duggar to opt-out of the letter-writing campaign. None of Josh’s siblings submitted a letter on his behalf. While several siblings appeared at the courthouse during the trial, none have decided to go to bat for Josh and ask for leniency. Josh is the eldest of 19 children.

Someone submitted a victim impact statement ahead of the character statements, though. The document remains sealed. Duggar family followers are unlikely to learn who authored the letter. 

It is possible that one of Josh’s siblings wrote the impact statement. Before his conviction on two child pornography counts, Josh admitted to molesting four of his sisters and a family friend when he was still a teen. The prosecution discussed his previous behaviors during the December 2021 trial. The prosecution factored his previous offenses, of which he was not convicted, into their recommendation for sentencing.

Several family friends and in-laws submitted statements to the court

Jim Bob might have opted out of writing a letter, but a couple of family members did submit character statements ahead of Josh Duggar’s sentencing. Letters from family members, however, were decidedly sparse. Anna Duggar, Josh’s wife, Michelle Duggar, Josh’s mother, and Michael Keller, Josh’s father-in-law, were the only close family members to pen statements.

The rest of the letters came from extended family members and a few close friends. David Waller, for example, submitted a statement to the courts. Waller married Anna’s sister, Priscilla Waller in 2012. David and Priscilla both appeared as guests on 19 Kids and Counting.

LeCount Reber also submitted a character statement ahead of sentencing. LeCount and his wife, Maria, served as Josh Duggar’s chaperones while he awaited trial. The Rebers’ daughter married Anna’s younger brother, David Keller.

Michelle and Anna’s letter infuriated Duggar family followers

In particular, Michelle Duggar and Anna Duggar’s letters seemed to infuriate Duggar family followers and some family members. In their letters, both women expressed a desire to have Josh back at home, each noting that he has several children to raise. Both appeared to completely gloss over the incredibly disturbing material Josh was convicted of viewing. They painted him as a good father and upstanding citizen.

In a bold move, Amy Duggar King, the family’s rebellious cousin, took to Twitter to lambast her famous family. She specifically questioned whether or not her aunt and uncle were “delusional.” Amy, like many others, took issue with the way Michelle glossed over the incredibly serious nature of Josh’s crimes. More recently, she’s took to the social media platform to criticize Anna Duggar.