Josh Duggar has lost another attempt at his early freedom.

The former “19 Kids and Counting “star had his hopes crushed in court after his recent appeal was tossed. He is currently serving a 12-year sentence in a federal prison in Texas for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.

Josh Duggar’s release date has been extended twice, pushing his day of freedom into a different year. First, he received an extension after he was caught with a contraband cell phone, and recently, the former reality TV star received another extension for a rules violation.

Josh Duggar Did Not Get The Verdict He Hoped For

The stars are not aligning in Duggar’s favor, as a federal judge has denied his appeal to vacate his conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material. His argument that his constitutional rights had been violated was tossed out, and he will continue to serve his over 12-year sentence.

The court records show that U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks denied the former TV star’s appeal on the grounds that he filed his motion too late. The date on which Duggar filed the appeal had been raised as a point of contention previously.

The records obtained by PEOPLE show that Brooks spelled out the date when a copy of the appeal was received. He wrote that one copy was received by the U.S Attorney’s Office on July 29, 2025, which was over a month after the deadline. The court, on the other hand, did not receive a copy of his appeal until that August.

Judge Brooks Said Duggar’s Testimony Was ‘Not Credible’

Duggar pleaded for grace, claiming that he should be protected by the “prison mailbox rule,” which provides leeway on deadlines for inmates as long as the motions are “deposited in the institution’s internal mailing system on or before the last day for filing.” 

Brooks, in response to his claim, found that his testimony surrounding how and when he mailed the appeal documents was “not credible,” hence, he failed to meet the burden of proving he should benefit from the mailbox rule. 

“The Court can grant Mr. Duggar one coincidence,” Judge Brooks wrote. “Perhaps even two or three odd happenstances. But Mr. Duggar is asking the Court to believe something akin to a magic bullet theory,” he noted before adding that the sequential chain of events Duggar detailed defied common sense.

“Collectively, this chain of events—where Murphy’s law was lurking at every turn—is simply not credible,” the judge concluded his statement. The TLC alum returns to prison to be released in February 2033.

Inside Josh Duggar’s Previous Appeals

Duggar’s first appeal came in June 2022 when his legal team formally appealed his conviction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. In October of the same year, his lawyer, Justin Gelfand, filed another appeal asking the court to overturn his client’s guilty conviction.

These requests remained in the books while Duggar was behind bars till the following year. A three-judge panel upheld his child pornography conviction on August 7, 2023. He requested a rehearing by the full court, which was also denied. 

Duggar moved up to the U.S Supreme Court in February 2024, but they declined to hear his appeal in June of the same year. The Blast reported that in his most recent petition to the U.S District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, he requested to have his conviction vacated.

The TLC alum supported his request with eight arguments, including a claim that his previous attorneys failed to question an individual who had access to the computer where the illegal evidentiary images were discovered.

The ’19 Kids And Counting’ Alum Feels Unsupported By His Family

Duggar wore his emotions out in a message to his mom, Michelle, from jail, where he admitted that he was not pleased with his family’s reaction towards him and his offenses.

He lamented over the response of his family to the revelation that he had molested four of his sisters, highlighting that it left him and his wife, Anna, “devastated.” The oldest son of the Duggar clan shared with his mom that living as an inmate who receives no form of care from his siblings in the outside world was difficult and heartbreaking for him.

“There were 18 kids and life went on,” part of his message read, adding that if the tables were turned, he would not treat his family members the same way. In the message, the father of seven acknowledged that Michelle had “privately” been in his corner, adding that he was “grateful” for her love and support.

However, he noted that his family, including his mother, was more concerned about their image in the public eye. Duggar reportedly stressed that they placed their public image above family relationships, and the realization hurt him deeply.

Only One Of Josh Duggar’s Sisters Reached Out 

While the whole family is keeping the convicted sex offender at arm’s length, correspondence has shown that one of his sisters, Jessa Duggar Seewald, reached out to him during his time in a local detention center. 

Jessa was the only one out of his nine sisters to contact him while he was held at the Washington County Detention Center in Arkansas. The Blast reported that she sent her brother a short message with words of encouragement and birthday wishes for his 34th birthday four years ago.

“Happy Birthday, Josh! We love you and are praying for you! Love, The Seewalds,” her message read on behalf of her family. According to reports, Duggar responded within hours, sharing how excited he was to hear from her and thanking her for being a source of encouragement to his wife and kids.

Duggar complained to Jessa that she was the only sibling to send him a birthday note and also asked if her ministry could donate some Bibles to the correctional facility where he was held. Jessa replied kindly, assuring him that God was looking after his family and promising to look into his request for the books. 

Is there even a thin thread of hope left for Josh Duggar?