doodlebug

Both Jill and Jessa were not only legal adults, they were married at the time they did the interview. I have no doubt JB coerced them to do it, but they cannot claim that they didn't know what they were doing. If the defense decides to use their own public discussion of their brother's crimes, they can't use the 'I'm an adult but my father controls my life' excuse.

TLC's website still lists Counting On as one of its shows and has links to watch episodes. TLC issued a statement that they are 'saddened' by Josh' arrest, that's all I've seen. Derick has called for the show to be cancelled, but he's been riding that bus for years.

He was also very quick to assert that Josh couldn't possibly be a pedophile because he was something like 15 years and 4 months when he molested the 5 year old and, legally, one has to be 16 to be declared a pedophile. No shame in his game.

This week. It comes and goes.

I live less than an hour from them, close to the lake where it is always colder in the spring. It has been in the low to mid 80's and sunny all day. I've been out in the yard, cleaning patio furniture with the hose, wearing nothing but a t shirt and cropped pants and I am too warm. Just checked, right now, at 6 PM, it is 77 degrees and sunny in Wooster where they live, Either they are all unnaturally sensitive to weather due to lack of subcutaneous body fat, that pic wasn't taken today or Jill ordered them to don winter clothes and hoods to make the photos more dramatic.

Joy and Austin have supposedly left the show but there has been no formal announcement. They no longer appear in promotional materials for the show though. The consensus seems to be that, if they are no longer doing the show, it is by their own choice, not because TLC didn't want them. However, the reason Jill and Derick are not on good terms with JB is not due to not appearing on the show, but due to money. Derick has been pretty vocal about that. The fact that Derick called JB out by telling the world that none of the kids were paid for the show, but told it was a ministry while JB pocketed all of the money for doing it. Also, although Derick has been vague about it; his despicable remarks about Jazz, a minor child who also has a TLC show, probably lead to his being fired, not voluntarily leaving.

I know that many physicians who provide expert testimony for malpractice cases charge 10 grand a day, not to mention expenses which include first class air travel, meals and the nicest hotel in town. I could see someone with very specific knowledge important to one side or the other charging $21 grand.

Yes, he does. A guy named Gelfand out of St Louis who specializes in federal court cases, former prosecutor. Thanks to Zella for the link https://margulisgelfand.com/team/justingelfand/ He is also represented by Travis Story, an Arkansas lawyer, a fundy friend of JB who has done other legal work for the family. Gelfand is the big gun, though.

The other thing about going to trial: hiring a defense attorney is very expensive. The cost escalates dramatically if there is a trial and that lawyer is devoting 10 or more hours a day, every day, to one person's defense. A trial can last a week or more, there are also other attorneys, paralegals and others assisting in the work for trial who also are paid on an hourly basis. A 'cheap' defense attorney on a criminal case bills $200 an hour or more. The guy Josh has is not cheap, he seems to be extremely experienced in this sort of case and is undoubtedly charging top dollar for his expertise. Heck, his legal administrative assistant probably bills more than that to write up the documents. If JB discovers that the case is not likely to be won (over 95% of federal cases end in conviction), he is going to opt for a plea bargain rather than a trial if only because he is the cheapest SOB to ever walk the face of the earth.

I'm not a lawyer, but I've been a defendant, more than once, in civil cases. It comes with the territory if you practice obstetrics in the US. In all cases, I felt I had excellent legal representation and my lawyers were down to earth and very honest about what they saw as problems in the defense as well as in the plaintiff's case. As each case, approached trial, we all sat down and the legal team laid out the facts, the problems, the options. Obviously, I wasn't going to jail, but it involved settlement offers to the plaintiffs if I approved. I had insurance and, as long as no case settled or was judged for more than $1million, it was not coming out of my pocket. That's one of the risks that a defendant in a civil case faces; if the judgement exceeds their coverage, they are on the hook for the rest. Anyway, in all cases, I was advised as to what the lawyer thought might happen at trial and it was my option to settle or not. One case, where I was a co-defendant, could've probably gone to court or settled for less; but one of my colleagues blatantly falsified the medical chart and her notes completely contradicted notes from another doctor and 2 nurses who were present at the time. Juries don't like that kind of stuff, we settled. I've gone to trial twice, in the first case, the plaintiff's sister was her attorney and she wasn't even a litigator, let alone a malpractice expert. Even before trial, my attorney advised me that the case was baloney and he recommended not settling because there was clearly no malpractice. That was my take on it too and the jury was out less than 10 minutes before they acquitted unanimously. The other trial was a lot more complicated, the child who I'd delivered didn't file suit until he was 19 and he was 22 when it went to court. Trying to remember details of a delivery that I did two decades earlier wasn't easy. In any event, it was really our experts vs their experts. Our experts won the day and that was also a win for the defense. I really do think Josh was convinced that he was internet savvy enough that the feds weren't going to be able to trace his online activity and I can see him smugly insisting on going to trial. He really does think he is all that. Since every dime of his defense is coming from JB's pocket, I can see JB and Travis Story ultimately conferring with the defense lawyer and forcing Josh to plead out if the case is as strong as it probably is. But, if it was solely up to Josh, I think he'd want to go the whole 9 yards. I also think that JB knew about the charges, if nothing else, Travis Story would've gotten a copy of the original search warrant as well as the charges filed this week. Josh' attorney-client privilege with Travis probably begins and ends with JB knowing everything. He might've shared the info with Michelle, but, just like the money, JB gets to decide who gets what and I don't think the other kids were told what the feds were looking for or what Josh might've done. As far as JB is concerned, they are not in charge, he is.

The guilty pay their legal bills just as easily as the innocent. I expect that this guy, who handles federal cases, is used to having sleazy clients. If the Duggars had the assets to pay his retainer, that is all he needed to know. While the rest of us find Josh repugnant, the sort of people this guy represents would be glad to have a lawyer who worked with a semi-high profile client like Josh. A case like this, with the media covering, would be good for the bottom line.

In many communities, the transportation is done by Provide a Ride. There is some sort of agreement with Medicare/Medicaid, too, which can pick up the cost at least some of the time. They've got a website and you can find out if someone is eligible on it, The one drawback is that Provide a Ride is often busy during the day and your mother may not be the only client they are serving with the same vehicle. So, there may be several pick-ups and drop-offs during her ride which can prolong things. My brother, who gets Medicare/Medicaid and doesn't drive anymore, uses it to get to his psychiatric appointments. He doesn't love it because it can be slow, but says they're reliable and the drivers are really nice and very helpful, especially to those with physical limitations.

I'm not a member of AA or NA, but know quite a few people, both family and friends who are. In real life, the A for Anonymous is a real thing. Members are not to discuss other members outside of the meeting. Technically, Luka should not even have known the name of Abby's sponsor unless Coburn gave permission for Abby to tell him. Obviously, that could've happened since they all worked at the same place, but in many cases, a spouse wouldn't even know who the sponsor was let alone confront them. Sponsors do so voluntarily, just as membership in AA/NA is voluntary, so Coburn got nothing out of sponsoring Abby except paying forward since she had a sponsor who helped her when she joined. A lot of NA people attend AA meetings simply because there are a whole lot more AA meetings than NA. The 12 steps are the same, the way alcoholics and drug addicts think and behave are very similar. In Carter's case, he was still a resident, working around 80 hours a week. He simply might not have been able to find an NA meeting at a time and location that worked for him. And, yes, for the show, it was a way for him to get involved with Abby. I'm in the medical field where there are a lot of people who are narcotics addicts. Virtually all the ones I know go to AA meetings and always have. I have a physician friend who is an addict; I was his friend both before and after he sought treatment. Meanwhile, my father had a very close friend who was very active in AA, did a lot of work for the organization, had been a member for over 40 years, was very open about his involvement. I happened to get together with my dad and his friend one time and his friend said, 'I saw T last week, he told me to give you his best'. I didn't know how my dad's friend could possibly know him and I asked. 'We've got a mutual friend' my dad's buddy said and then I realized where they would've met. 'Oh, Bill W?' 'That's right'. Gotcha.

This particular cult is based upon the notion that, while men are the only true leaders and decision makers, it is the woman's fault if her man should stray. The Gothard teaching is that when someone is assaulted sexually, even a child, that person needs to own up to their responsibility for their own victimization. Even a child would be at fault for 'tempting' the adult man into sinning. And, when husbands commit sexual sins, it is because his wife is not fulfilling his sexual needs within the marriage. So, he strays because she is a bad wife, not because of any inherent flaw he possesses. It is likely that JB and Michelle are telling Anna that Josh' crimes are her fault, too and that Anna feels guilty and that she thinks that, if she had done something differently, Josh wouldn't have been interested in downloading photos of abused children. The Gothardites also believe that even very young children, like pre-verbal, are capable of willful sinning and they do not distinguish between viewing salacious images of adults vs images of sexually abused children as far as the seriousness of the sin. Even if the adult posing for pornographic images is doing so freely and is compensated and the child has no choice and is actually harmed emotionally and physically, those following Gothard seem to feel it is all the same. It is, of course, all bullsh**, but it is what they believe.

I generally agree with this. However, while there is a low rate of 'cure' for pedophilia; by far the greatest success occurs when the perpetrator is identified and given intensive therapy as soon as it is discovered; certainly before adulthood. Josh's best chance to get his criminal urges under control and perhaps be able to restrain himself from harming other children was the first time he was caught. Instead, JB and M waited for almost 2 years and until at least 5 children, 4 of them their daughters, were harmed before doing anything substantive to help Josh. I also feel that sending him off to remodel kitchens was not the right choice; but, at least they finally got him out of the house and away from his sisters for a bit. Now, I don't think what they did helped in the long run, he still would've gotten messed up in watching children be abused anyway; but maybe some of his sisters could've been left alone. And, once again, that first chance was the best chance to help him. I agree that he is unlikely to get a lot of benefit from therapy now, at least in terms of preventing future abusive behavior. Had Michelle and JB, who claim that Josh actually came to them and told them what he'd done, that the girls didn't know; sought out actual expert advice in dealing with troubled children, at the very least, they could have very likely prevented the molestations of some of the other young girls including a 5 year old. If they're telling the truth and Josh came to them of his own accord (a big 'IF'), then he perhaps also realized the wrongness of his actions and wanted help in stopping and his parents didn't do a thing to help their very messed up kid.

Yes, I don't think that would happen. I do know of someone who put her child into foster care rather than stop living with her boyfriend after he was charged with sexually abusing another child. Like Josh, his bail included the requirement that he not be in the presence of minor children. Eventually, he went to prison for some years. I don't know if she ever got her kid back, just that she chose her child molesting boyfriend over her own flesh and blood. There are no words...

Of course she does. However, the stimulus check comes automatically to everyone who has filed a tax return last year and meets the criteria. I doubt Jill and Shrek would refuse to file a tax return, they probably never have to pay taxes anyway due to their small tangible income and the number of dependents. So, the government either direct deposited the money in their account or sent them a check. I don't picture Jill sending it back which is what she'd have to do if she didn't want it. I don't think Jill objects to the government giving stuff to her, it's OTHER PEOPLE who don't deserve it.

They are probably carrying Jill's new shoes, all the kids having begged the benefactor to purchase shoes for the World's Best Mama rather than for them.

Years and years ago, before my time, many hospitals required the spouse' signature prior to doing a tubal ligation or vasectomy. However, by the time I was a resident, in 1982, it was an anachronism, I remember seeing the forms in a drawer at the hospital and those of us present laughing about how ridiculous it was. I don't believe spousal consent was ever a legal requirement, just a social custom from back in the days when husbands had to 'allow' their wives to work, gave them an allowance and generally were in charge of every aspect of the wife's life. Some doctors might have a waiting period before performing a tubal ligation, but, generally, it is an insurance issue. If you are on Medicaid, including any of the Medicaid HMO's, the federal government requires you sign a special government consent at least 30 days and no more than 180 days before the tubal is performed. In that instance, the consent states in bold letters that the procedure is permanent and not reversible. I believe this language stems from unscrupulous doctors and others who strongly encouraged/coerced poor women into getting their tubes tied. If you've got private insurance, there is no waiting period, although, these days especially, it would be hard to get the procedure scheduled in less than 30 days ever.

Sorry, you're absolutely correct. Maggie was another great character and I wish she'd have stayed and made main cast.

How is this happy news? If you're tired of it, it doesn't sound like it makes you happy. Happy news Sunday. The Indians finally beat the Yankees today, the sun is out, went out to a nice lunch with one of my sisters.

It was so enjoyable and it was wonderful to see the camaraderie between all of them. It was obvious that they knew the show was something special, that it was a life-changing experience; and they all appreciated it and still have great love and friendship between them. I'd love to see a reunion of the non-main cast, too. It was too bad they had audio problems in the second hour when the nurses were there. I'd love to see an hour with Conni, Lydia and Laura along with Yvette (Haleh), Lily, Abe (Jerry), Jorja (Randi) and so on. They could even bring on some of the occasionally seen doctors like the woman who played the pathologist or the radiologist or the anesthesiologist.

There are about 5 minutes or so before it starts on YouTube. Apparently the hosts were late. The reunion itself is a slice of heaven for ER fans.

Ooops! You're right.

Jose is going to be 12 in December, so it is just a bit more than 6 years before all the kids are 18.