Photo: D Dipasupil/Getty (3); joy4site/Instagram
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks claimed in his ruling that the Duggar sisters “have not presented any direct proof or reasonable inference” to prevail on their claims that their seclusion was disrupted and that authorities had revealed private facts about them.
A rep and an attorney for the Duggar family did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Wednesday’s ruling came just hours after the sisters' Feb. 10 settlement conference was canceled, according tolocal newsoutlets.
In May 2017, the four Duggar siblings sued Springdale and Washington County officials, including Maj. Rick Hoyt of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Ernest Cate, Springdale city attorney and former Police Chief Kathy O’Kelley. The group of four claimed that authorities released redacted investigation documents toInTouch, which published them and publicly disclosed the identities of the Duggar women.
Josh Duggar.Washington County Sheriff
The documents were part of an investigation into the women’s older brother Josh Duggar.
As word spread, authorities received calls about claims that Josh had molested his sisters. State police contacted the Duggar family and the sisters “testified in their depositions that these investigators assured them that the contents of their interviews would remain confidential.”
At the time, no criminal charges were brought against Josh.
The Duggar sisters' December 2021 trial date was postponed due to Josh’s child pornography trial. Josh wasfound guiltyon two counts of knowingly receiving and possessing child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material. He faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines for each conviction.
source: people.com
