Kendra Duggar shared details about her legal counsel to husband Joseph Duggar amid the couple’s child endangerment case.
According to an in-jail audio call between Joseph and Kendra obtained by People on Monday, March 30, the pair had a discussion about their legal representation while Joseph was in jail. During the conversation, Joseph asked his wife if she had been in contact with attorney Travis Story. (Story previously worked with Joseph’s father, Jim Bob Duggar, and represented Joseph’s brother Josh Duggar in his federal child pornography case.)
“I’ve been talking to Travis. I’ve got him as my attorney now,” Kendra said. “I wasn’t sure if you knew that. I’ve asked him to be my attorney.”
Joseph responded, “I wasn’t sure who we settled with, but this guy’s good.”
Kendra, however, clarified that Story would be representing just her and not both of them. (Both Joseph and Kendra, who share four children, were charged with four counts of second degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second degree false imprisonment.)
‘Well, it’s not for you, it’s only for me,” Kendra explained, adding that she needed representation “for the case we’ve got going with the kids and stuff.” She then switched topics to see how Joseph was coping behind bars.
Joseph was arrested on March 18 by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas. He was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Joseph’s legal trouble began earlier this month when he was accused by a 14-year-old girl who claimed that she was sexually abused by the Counting On alum during a family vacation in Panama City Beach in 2020.
“The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,” Bay City police shared in a statement. “As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
The victim was 9 years old at the time of the alleged incident. The accuser claimed that the incidents eventually stopped and Joseph apologized. Ahead of Joseph’s arrest the victim’s father called him to confront him. The reality star allegedly admitted his actions to the father and to Tontitown detectives.
After news broke of Joseph’s arrest, Kendra was subsequently arrested for an unrelated matter. She and Joseph were later charged with four counts of second degree endangering the welfare of a minor and four counts of second degree false imprisonment. (The couple, who wed in 2017, share kids Garrett, 7, Addison, 6, Brooklyn, 5, and Justus, 3.)
Kendra was released shortly after being taken into custody and paying her bond, which was set at $1470.“[Kendra’s] is a misdemeanor charge totally unrelated to the Florida case,” a spokesperson told Us Weekly in a statement at the time.
Us confirmed on Monday that Joseph was transferred out of the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Friday, March 27. He was held at the facility for nine days while awaiting extradition to Florida. Joseph’s whereabouts are currently unknown.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
