Josh Duggar will go on trial in a matter of days.
But a federal judge decreed this week that interested parties and curious followers will need to constantly refresh their Internet browsers and visit websites such as The Hollywood Gossip in order to track the proceedings.
Why?
Because the trial will not be televised.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued an order this week that stated no devices — no cellphones, computers or other electronic devices of any kind — will be allowed inside of the courtroom once things get underway on Tuesday, November 30.
“Members of the public and the media are prohibited from entering the courthouse with cellular phones, recording devices or any other type of electronic device, such as laptop computers or tablets,” said Brooks in his ruling.
To be clear, journalists will be permitted to take notes and to report on the trial.
But do not expect any sort of videos to emerge or to even hear any arguments or testimony of any kind from lawyers or judges.
Elsewhere at this same hearing, the both the defense team and the prosecution agreed on opening statements of no more than 30 minutes.
The judge also ruled that visual aids, such as PowerPoint presentations, would be permitted during these statements, even without prior clearance.
When asked how long they anticipated the trial might take, the prosecution estimated that their case could entail “a solid three days of evidence,” with a chance of “bleeding into a fourth.”
An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for November 29 and then jury selection is set to begin on November 30 at the Fayetteville District Court.
Duggar, of course, pleaded not guilty to charges of child pornography possession back on May 6, about a week after he was taken into custody.
Federal prosecutors have said that Duggar downloaded approximately 200 images and/or videos of kids ranging from toddlers to 12-year-olds.
At least three police officers downloaded file shares of child pornography from Duggar’s computer, according to prosecutors.
The prosecution has claimed it has forensic evidence that these very disturbing videos came from Josh’s work computer, while Duggar’s team is expected to argue that this doesn’t constitute proof that Duggar himself downloaded the material.
Perhaps a co-worker, for example, was actually responsible, Josh’s lawyers may tell the jury.
It remains to be seen, meanwhile, whether or not Anna Duggar will testify on her husband’s behalf — or whether Jim Bob will be called upon to testify as a witness with knowledge of his son’s past molestation scandal.
Through all of this legal maneuvering, Josh and Anna welcomed their seventh child in late October.
“We appreciate your continued prayers for our family at this time. The accusations brought against Joshua today are very serious,” Josh’s parent said this spring.
“It is our prayer that the truth, no matter what it is, will come to light, and that this will all be resolved in a timely manner.
“We love Josh and Anna and continue to pray for their family.”
Jessa and Ben Seewald posted a statement on their Instagram Stories back then.
“We are saddened to hear of the charges against Josh.
“As Christians, we stand against any form of pornography or abuse and we desire for the truth to be exposed, whatever that may be,” the couple write.
“Our prayers are with their family as they walk through this difficult time.”
Finally, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo released a statement via social media, expressing how “disturbed” they are with the news of her brother.
It read in full:
“We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh.
“While this case must go through the legal system, we want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice.”