We’re just one day away from the long-awaited Josh Duggar sentencing hearing.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher, as Josh could potentially be imprisoned for 20 years.
Of course, the defense is pushing for a much lighter sentence of just 5 years.
And several key allies have joined the fight to convince the judge that despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, Josh isn’t such a bad guy.
Already, Josh’s wife Anna Duggar has written letters in which she praises her husband’s virtues and begs the judge to reunite Josh with his family.
His mother, Michelle Duggar, also appealed to the court, bizarrely arguing that Josh’s skills in handling his family’s finances are indicative of a superior moral character.
Both women made no mention of Josh’s long history of predatory behavior in their letters.
Amazingly, they didn’t even mention the crimes that led to his most recent legal trouble.
The letters seem to confirm reports that some of Josh’s family members remain convinced of his innocence.
Insiders have claimed that Anna believes Josh has been framed by the Biden administration and would still be a free man if Donald Trump had been re-elected.
Now, prosecutors are responding to the letters written by Josh’s loved ones, and they’re arguing that the appeals should have the opposite of the intended effect on the judge.
In documents filed earlier this week, the DA’s office notes that none of Josh’s supporters have “meaningfully” addressed his crimes “or his sexual proclivities toward prepubescent girls.”
In fact, they seem to share the belief that Josh was a victim, and that his conviction was merely “an unfortunate happenstance.”
The prosecution notes that if Josh is released to people who believe he never did anything wrong, then there’s little reason to believe that his behavior will change.
“Absent some recognition from Duggar of his crimes and his need to address his demonstrated and long-standing sexual interest in children, it is unlikely that he will ever view his conviction as anything other than proof that he needs to be more circumspect and secretive the next time he engages in conduct involving child sexual abuse,” the filing reads.
“It is equally unlikely that he will ever receive the treatment and accountability needed to prevent him from reoffending should he maintain this posture,” prosecutors continue.
“In fact, given the apparent success of his blame tactics with some of the individuals he intends to surround himself with after his release from incarceration, it is not just unlikely — it is inconceivable.”
Thankfully, not every member of the Duggar family has been so ignorant in their assessment of the situation.
Not one of Josh’s 18 siblings has written a letter in his defense, and fans have noticed that Jill and Jessa have been silent on social media in recent weeks.
While he was still in his teens, Josh molested five young girls, four of whom were his sisters.
Jill and Jessa were among those victims, and while Jessa has maintained contact with her parents, Jill has severed ties with both her abuser and his enablers.
Sadly, we don’t need to speculate that Josh’s parents would allow his predatory behavior to continue if he were to be released to their care following a lenient sentence.
Jim Bob and Michelle have already proven that they’ll turn a blind eye to Josh’s atrocities if given the chance.
Josh is set to be sentenced on Wednesday, May 25.
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
