Josh Duggar says a family friend can't testify about his alleged child molestation admissions because of 'priest-penitent privilege'
During a pre-trial hearing on Monday, prosecutors questioned a family friend of the Duggars, Bobye Holt, who testified that Duggar had told her on multiple occasions about inappropriately touching young girls — both over and under their clothing.
Duggar's defense team sought in a Tuesday court filing to block prosecutors from calling Holt to the witness stand during the trial. They cited "the clergy privilege — also referred to as the priest-penitent privilege or the religious privilege," and likened it to the confidentiality agreements between attorneys and clients, and doctors and patients.
Duggar's attorneys argued that their client had viewed Holt as a "spiritual leader," and had spoken to her in "her spiritual and professional capacity with a reasonable expectation of confidentiality."
Federal prosecutors slammed the Duggar team's arguments in their own filing on Tuesday, noting that Holt "is not clergy at all" and therefore clergy privilege doesn't apply to her, and arguing that Duggar and his father have waived any privilege by making public statements addressing the molestation allegations.
"Any claim from [Duggar] now that he thought his admissions to Mrs. Holt were privileged has been vitiated by his and his family's face-saving press tour," prosecutors wrote.
A judge has yet to rule on Duggar's defense team's motion.
Oh my gosh. In their sect women can’t be pastors!!!