Politics & Government
Duggars Lawsuit: Immunity Decision Expected For Arkansas Officials
Four Duggars in May sued Springdale, Arkansas and Washington County, alleging a breach of privacy.
SPRINGDALE, AR — City and county officials in northwest Arkansas want a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit accusing them of wrongdoing over their release of details about an investigation into allegations that Josh Duggar fondled four of his sisters.
Jill Duggar Dillard, Jessa Duggar Seewald, Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Joy Duggar in May sued Springdale, Arkansas and Washington County, alleging officials breached their privacy by giving celebrity magazine InTouch Weekly investigation documents that revealed their identities. The magazine asked for the documents under a Freedom of Information Act request.
The documents stemmed from an investigation into allegations that Josh Duggar had molested his sisters between March 2002 and March 2003 when they were minors. (For more information on the lawsuit and other Arkansas stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)
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"It's despicable what happened here. There's no greater violation of a young person than to tell the world about their sexual assault," said Steven Bledsoe, an attorney for the Duggar sisters. "Any details about the sexual assault of a minor are not subject to disclosure under FOIA."
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But city and county officials said they qualify for immunity from being sued and the information that was released was public knowledge.
Judge Tim Brooks held a hearing on the case Monday and is expected to issue a written order soon, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported.
Justin Eichmann, an attorney for the Springdale defendants, said officials believed they were required by law to release the redacted investigation reports. Eichmann argued that the Arkansas Juvenile Code doesn't apply to the case because there were no arrests, detentions or criminal proceedings involved.
Washington County officials released information after Springdale officials released their reports, said Jason Owens, an attorney for the Washington County defendants.
The siblings were on the "19 Kids and Counting" TLC reality show, which chronicled the personal life of Arkansas parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar.
Photo credit: Danny Johnston/Associated Press