Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are not good people. They are also not good parents.
They raised their children in an abusive cult and actively covered up their eldest son’s predation. All to protect their extreme lifestyle and twisted ideology.
Jim Bob and Michelle’s children are not the only ones who grew up in that house. Years ago, nephew Tyler Hutchins came to live with them.
He is now 15. This summer, it appeared that he was about to go live with his grandparents. Now, a court battle is heating up … and the attorney who represented Josh Duggar is involved.
Bear with us, because a few details remain unknown for the moment.
Jim Bob and Michelle have been the legal guardians of Tyler Hutchins since he was a young boy. That was 2016.
Michelle’s sister, Carolyn, is his grandmother. Rachel Hutchins is his mother, but she was apparently unable to care for him due to finances and her legal standing (she was on probation).
This past summer, Jim Bob and Michelle formally agreed to cede guardianship of Tyler.
Their grand-nephew is now 15 years old. And, apparently, his grandparents Carolyn and John are prepared to take him in.
But for unknown reasons, it does not seem to be a simple matter. The US Sun reports that Carolyn and John Hutchins have retained an attorney in the case.
According to court records: “Comes now, Travis W. Story, Esq. Attorney at Law, and enters his appearance on behalf of John and Carol Hutchins in the above-captioned case.”
Attorneys from the same firm, Robert A. Ballinger and Katie L. Freeman, have been representing Jim Bob and Michelle.
Robert has represented Carolyn and John before. And Travis is dubiously notable for having represented disgraced Josh Duggar in his child sex-abuse material (CSAM) case. Josh is currently in prison where he belongs.
In June of this year, a court filing indicated that Jim Bob and Michelle were surrendering custody of Tyler.
“We specifically consent to the appointment of his grandparents, John Martin Hutchins and Carolyn Jeanette Hutchins, as general guardians of minor child Tyler Wayne Hutchins,” they signaled in court documents.
The Duggars continued: “And enter our appearance for any necessary purposes and proceedings in any court of contempt jurisdiction to be instituted for formal and legal guardianship of said child.”
Carolyn and John also signaled in court documents this past September that they are prepared and qualified to act as Tyler’s guardians.
His mother, however, is not.
However, the court filing cites that Rachel “does not object to this grant of guardianship.”
However, no judge has signed off on the transfer of guardianship.
We do not know why. And it appears that all four adults involved are ready to fight in court until Tyler changes hands.
Is this just a delay, or does the court know something that we don’t? We hate to imagine a place even less fit for a teenager than the Duggar house. Hopefully, that is not the case.