NEWSJosh Duggar Claims Federal Agents Unfairly 'Restrained' Him During Car Dealership Raid In Latest Bid For New Trial
Josh Duggar is claiming that federal agents in full tactical gear intimidated him and kept him from leaving the premises during the April 2021 raid on his Arkansas car dealership in his most recent attempt at fighting his guilty conviction.
Court documents stated that Homeland Security had already surveilled the car lot — which was described as being "in the middle of nowhere" — and they were there waiting for him to arrive on the morning of the search.
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"When Duggar arrived, agents — armed and wearing tactical gear — converged in six vehicles," the papers read. "Duggar immediately took out his phone and said he was calling his attorney. [An agent] took the phone from Duggar’s hand, preventing him from calling counsel."
Duggar was allegedly left shocked and "blindsided" as authorities reportedly forced him to remain in a vehicle, despite later insisting he "maintained unencumbered freedom of movement" throughout the raid.
"The Government clings to the notion that Duggar was allegedly told he was free to leave — even though the Government is silent about the inconvenient fact that he had no means to leave," the documents continued. "He would have effectively had to walk on the shoulder of a rural highway to leave the police-dominated environment."
- Government Hits Back At Josh Duggar's Claims He Was Detained & 'Physically Stopped' From Calling His Lawyer In April 2021 Raid
- Inside Josh Duggar's Sentencing Appeal: Why A Legal Expert Claims He 'Doesn't Have A Good Argument'
- Audio From Search Warrant Executed At Josh Duggar's Car Dealership In 2019 Played In Court
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"The Government also contends Duggar was not restrained. But restraint is about more than being handcuffed," his legal team argued in the court filing.
"Duggar was placed in a police vehicle with two armed agents. He was told his attorney could not join him after he attempted to call counsel, and he had no access to a vehicle," the papers further noted. "This Court should conclude a reasonable person in Duggar’s position would have felt ‘deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way.’"
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As OK! previously reported, Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography in December 2021 and was sentenced to over 12 years behind bars in May 2022.
The disgraced television personality has been attempting to appeal his guilty conviction and subsequent sentencing since earlier this year, asking for three appeal extensions before finally filing the claim in October. He is currently requesting his guilty conviction be stricken and a new trial be ordered.
The Sun was first to report that Duggar claims he was unfairly restrained by authorities in April.
