“To the contrary, he ended the interview on his own and then left the dealership—hardly an option available to someone in custody,” the ruling said.
RELATED: ‘We Fear for His Soul’—More Duggar Family Members React to Guilty Verdict
Duggar’s defense team had also argued that it should have been allowed to disclose the prior sex offense conviction of a former employee at Duggar’s dealership during Duggar’s trial. The appellate court dismissed the argument, upholding the decision to allow the former employee to be questioned without bringing up the past conviction.
The panel further rejected a challenge to the credentials of the analyst who testified that Duggar’s iPhone metadata tied him to the crime.
Justin Gelfand, an attorney for Duggar, said he disagreed with the court’s decision and reasoning and would “evaluate all options.”
RELATED: Jinger Duggar Vuolo Explains Why She Chose Not To Appear in ‘Shiny Happy People’
The Duggar family’s rise to fame, their involvement with IBLP, and the experiences of others whose upbringings were shaped by IBLP teachings were recently explored in the four-part docuseries, “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.”
While most of the Duggar family declined to participate in the series, Jill Duggar Dillard and her husband Derick Dillard, as well as Amy King, a cousin of the Duggars, did offer interviews regarding their upbringings and experiences with IBLP.