Josh Duggar Scores a Minor Victory In His Appeal Process as a Duggar Insider Claims Anna Might Be Considering the Unthinkable

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• When Josh Duggar was found guilty to possessing child pornography, his attorney immediately vowed to appeal the verdict.
• His legal team just won a minor victory, granting them more time to file the appeal.
• Meanwhile, his wife, Anna Duggar, might be considering the unthinkable according to a Duggar family insider.

Josh Duggar was convicted on two counts of possessing child pornography in December 2021. The former 19 Kids & Counting star and his legal team immediately started working on his appeal, and they recently scored a minor victory in the process. At the same time, rumors are starting to swirl that Josh’s wife Anna Duggar might be considering the unthinkable.

Josh Duggar’s appeal process has started, and he just scored a minor victory

After an Arkansas jury found Josh Duggar guilty on December 9, the former reality star’s lead attorney — Justin Gelfand — immediately vowed to appeal the verdict. That process has officially begun. And on Wednesday, January 5, Gelfand was granted a motion that asked for “additional time to rile post-trial motions.”

There is normally a 30-day deadline after a verdict for post-trial motions to be filed. But Josh’s legal team scored the minor win of an additional 10 days.

The court granted the request so the appeal records would be ‘more precise’

According to court documents, Josh’s defense team has ordered his trial transcripts. But, they aren’t expected to be completed until next week. The motion for the 10-day extension was granted because Josh’s legal team needs those trial transcripts to file their post-trial motions.

“Because the transcripts are necessary with respect to certain issues [Josh] intends to raise in his post-trial motions, [Josh] respectfully requests that this Court grant this request for a brief extension of 10 additional days in which to file his motions so that the transcripts may be utilized. And so that this Court will have a more precise record from which to consider [Josh’s] motions,” the court documents read.

What will Josh Duggar’s appeal be based on?

The former 19 Kids & Counting star’s legal team now has until January 19 to appeal Josh’s conviction. But according to the experts, the odds of Josh’s appeal succeeding aren’t good.

“Whenever there’s a criminal conviction, and especially when the defendant has money, there’s going to be an appeal,” legal analyst Emily D. Baker explained, per The Hollywood Gossip. “What [Josh’s attorneys] pick to appeal on will be interesting to see. I imagine they will appeal on the judge allowing Bobye Holt to testify. They might appeal on their motions to eliminate her testimony.”

Bobby Holt is the former Duggar family friend who testified about Josh’s history of molestation and abuse. She recalled that Josh molested a five-year-old while she was sitting on his lap during Bible study. Josh’s lawyers attempted to have his history thrown out as evidence in his pornography child. But, the judge allowed this evidence to be submitted.

Josh Duggar’s appeal is a longshot

Baker says that at the end of the day, she didn’t see anything from Josh’s trial that “would be appealable.” She believes the judge ruled “very fairly,” the jury instructions were clear, and “the evidence was very overwhelming.”

“I don’t see anything based on what I know of the case that would lead me to go ’they should appeal on that, they might win,’” Baker said.

As Josh attempts to appeal his conviction, he will be sentenced at some point this spring. The expectation is that he will receive a prison sentence somewhere between 10 and 20 years. He is currently being held in an Arkansas detention center.

Is Anna Duggar considering the unthinkable?

As Josh sits behind bars, waiting to find out his fate, his wife Anna is rumored to be considering the unthinkable — a divorce. According to an insider, Anna is “still not certain about her future.”

“She’s doing everything she possibly can to make sense of this living nightmare,” the source told In Touch Weekly. “His actions have forced her to look at him as a fallen man who lost his way.”

The insider added that Anna — who shares seven children with Josh — “stood by” her husband until “the bitter end.” Anna is reportedly “praying” for Josh and leaning on her faith, and she’s “certain that it will work out the way it’s supposed to.”

The Duggar family has made it clear that they will continue to support Anna and her children. However, she’s reportedly been “taking time away” in recent weeks and spending time with her own family instead of her in-laws.