FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit four sisters of Josh Duggar filed over the release of records from a police investigation that concluded the former reality television star fondled them.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks dismissed the lawsuit against Springdale and Washington County officials over the records’ release. The sisters had sued claiming invasion of privacy and outrage.
Duggar and his sisters are part of a large Arkansas family that starred on TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” until the network canceled the show in 2015 following revelations that Duggar as a juvenile molested four of his sisters and a babysitter. Authorities began investigating the abuse in 2006 after getting a tip but concluded that the statute of limitations had expired.
Jill Dillard, Jessa Seewald, Jinger Vuolo and Joy Duggar filed the lawsuit in 2017 claiming officials improperly released redacted police investigation documents to a magazine. Their attorneys say the documents made it easy to identify them.
Josh Duggar was convicted in December of one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography and is awaiting sentencing. His attorneys last month asked a judge to toss out his conviction or order a new trial.
In his ruling, Brooks ruled there was no evidence the officials intended to inflict emotional distress.
