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Judge Puts Duggar Arkansas Child Endangerment Case on One-Year Diversion

The court agreed to pause the Arkansas charges and said they will be dismissed next year if Joseph and Kendra meet behavior, payment and agency- compliance conditions.

Overview

  • The couple withdrew earlier not-guilty pleas and filed a plea by order that let the judge place their Arkansas case on a roughly one-year advisement period starting with filings on Monday, Aug. 10.
  • Under the diversion order they must avoid new crimes, follow all court orders and directions from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, and each pay $1,850, with a review hearing set for Aug. 4, 2027 and prosecutors agreeing to dismiss the case if they comply.
  • The Arkansas charges trace to a March home inspection that investigators say found exterior locks on children’s bedroom doors and led to four counts each of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment for both Joseph and Kendra.
  • After the March arrests the couple’s children were removed from their custody; Kendra’s no-contact restriction was later lifted and supervised contact has been allowed while Joseph remains barred from unsupervised contact with minors by his separate pretrial conditions.
  • Joseph still faces an active, separate criminal case in Bay County, Florida, alleging lewd and lascivious conduct from a 2020 trip, he has pleaded not guilty and was released on a $600,000 bond, with further proceedings in Florida to come.