A Small Legal Win for Kendra Caldwell: Judge Drops the No-Contact Order
Kendra Caldwell has scored a massive win in her child endangerment and false imprisonment case. During a recent court hearing, a judge agreed to dissolve a no-contact order that has been in place since her March 20 arrest. The case is far from over, though; this is where things stand.
How it all started
Kendra’s legal troubles began just days after her husband, Joseph Duggar, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor in Florida. According to several sources, an arrest warrant for Kendra was issued after authorities conducted a home visit at the couple’s home. While it’s unclear exactly what led to the arrest, Kendra was charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. The charges are entirely separate from Joseph’s Panama City case. He was also charged with the same crimes as Kendra, as well.
She was released on bond the same day she was arrested. The drama was far from over, though. Kendra Caldwell was placed under a strict no-contact order barring her from any communication with her four children, the presumed victims. The former reality TV star noted that she didn’t have access to Garrett, Addison, Brooklyn, and Justus during a jailhouse call with Joseph.
The initial protective order banned Kendra from having any contact with her children, including via call, text, or email. The sweeping nature of the order led to serious concerns about what exactly happened. The details remain confidential. It is unclear who has had custody of the children since Kendra and Joseph’s arrests.
The no-contact order against Kendra Caldwell has been dropped
Kendra was in court earlier this week to enter her plea. With lawyer Travis Story by her side, Kendra pleaded not guilty to all eight charges. While nothing was decided today, a judge did agree that it would be best to dissolve a no-contact order that has been in place since her arrest.
According to the Hollywood Gossip, Story argued that Kendra’s alleged victims had expressed a desire to have contact with her. He went on to claim that she had complied with all conditions of the order and that continued restrictions were preventing important third-party evaluations tied to her case. The judge agreed to drop the no-contact order. That doesn’t mean the kids will be returned to her care, though.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services will now step in to develop a reunification plan. That plan must be in the best interest of the four minor children. That could mean returning to their mother’s care with regular interactions with a social worker. It could also mean Kendra will need to deal with supervised visits while her case moves through the judicial system. A final decision has not yet been made.
It is unclear how Joseph Duggar and his legal troubles factor in. The father of four has been prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with minors. The order included his own children. Joseph, who is charged with lewd and lascivious acts in Florida and child endangerment and felony imprisonment charges in Arkansas, is currently out on bail. It is unclear where he is staying or whether he and Kendra are residing together right now. Joseph pleaded not guilty in a separate hearing.
This is a developing story…