Joseph Duggar’s Bail Set, Jim Bob Duggar Traveled to Florida for His First Hearing
Joseph Duggar appeared for the first time in Bay County court to answer for his lewd and lascivious behavior charge. While Joseph only landed in Florida earlier the same day, things are moving quickly. Along with getting his first hearing out of the way, he’s retained counsel, and his bail has been set. His father, Jim Bob Duggar, has been oddly quiet in the days since Joseph’s arrest, but apparently he did, in fact, show up in court. Whether he posts his son’s very hefty bail remains to be seen, though.
Joseph Duggar enters his plea and has bail set
The justice system is moving fast when it comes to Joseph Duggar and his lewd and lascivious behavior charges. Joseph, who checked into a Florida jail just hours ago, has already seen a judge and entered a plea. His bail has also been set. Joseph has pleaded not guilty to two charges and has requested a trial.
A Bay County judge has decided that he is eligible for bail. According to Court TV, Judge Tracy Smith set Duggar’s bond at $600,000. In addition to the bond, the former reality TV star is not allowed to have any contact with his unnamed victim. He is also not allowed to have any unsupervised contact with minors, including his own.
Joseph was arrested on March 18 after a 14-year-old girl told her father and Tontitown police that Duggar had touched her inappropriately during a Florida beach vacation in 2020. The victim was 9 at the time. She told police that Duggar forced her to sit on his lap, and touched her thighs and genitals while covered with a blanket. Joseph reportedly admitted wrongdoing during a phone call with the victim’s father. The victim remains anonymous.
Jim Bob Duggar was on hand for the hearing
While Jim Bob Duggar has kept an exceedingly low profile since Joseph Duggar’s March 18 arrest, he has finally resurfaced. According to several sources, the father, 19, was in court in Panama City, Florida, for his son’s first hearing. While it’s unclear when he got in town, Duggar family critics assume he is on hand to post bail for yet another wayward son.
Jim Bob Duggar was heavily involved in Joshua Duggar’s defense following his arrest on child pornography charges back in 2021. It is assumed Jim Bobb Duggar posted bail for Joshua, too, though his bond amount was never made public. He was released on bail in May 2021 while he awaited trial. Joshua was confined to the home of a chaperone until December 2021, when he was convicted and remanded to a local prison. He was sentenced, months later, to 12 years behind bars. He is serving his time at FCI Seagoville.
