SPRINGDALE, AR — Springdale City Attorney Ernest Cate released the following statement about releasing Josh Duggar’s records to the media:
“On 5/20/15, in full compliance with Arkansas Law, the Springdale Police Department responded to a records request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The requested record was not sealed or expunged, and at the time the report was filed, the person listed in the report was an adult. Any names of minors included in the report, as well as pronouns, were redacted from the report by the Springdale Police Department in compliance with Arkansas law prior to release.”
KNWA/FOX 24 will continue to bring you all the latest updates in this developing story.
In response to the release of the records, Jim Bob Duggar said “I mean it’s been an unprecedented attack on our family and it was actually, this information was released illegally.”
In an interview with Fox’s Megyn Kelly, the Duggar family taking aim at privacy rights, the Springdale police department and Chief Kathy O’Kelley.
Kelly asks if there was any motivation that you know of for this police chief to hurt your family. The family responded, they’re “really not sure. I think there might be an agenda. Not sure if there was a bribe or not, some type of personal agenda or something. It definitely wasn’t to be caring about the victims.”
She (Police Chief Kathy O’Kelley) is getting ready to retire, and you know, just even a few weeks ago she said, I’m getting ready to retire and there’s a few things I wanna do before I retire.
Kelly asks, “You think you were on the list.”
Jim Bob responded and said “I think I was on the list.”
The family says the police reports should never have been released because the victims were minors, but Springdale city attorney Earnest Cate says the report was filed when Josh Duggar was 18 and none of the minors were identified. He believes the department followed the law.
We reached out to Chief O’Kelley for comment but she was out of town. A spokesman for the Springdale Police Department wouldn’t comment on the situation.
The Duggar family says they may take legal action against the city and the department.
They said, “We’re talking to some attorneys about that right now, and we’ll see. Hopefully justice will be served on the ones that release juvenile records to protect other juveniles from their records being released.”
“On 5/20/15, in full compliance with Arkansas Law, the Springdale Police Department responded to a records request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The requested record was not sealed or expunged, and at the time the report was filed, the person listed in the report was an adult. Any names of minors included in the report, as well as pronouns, were redacted from the report by the Springdale Police Department in compliance with Arkansas law prior to release.”
KNWA/FOX 24 will continue to bring you all the latest updates in this developing story.
In response to the release of the records, Jim Bob Duggar said “I mean it’s been an unprecedented attack on our family and it was actually, this information was released illegally.”
In an interview with Fox’s Megyn Kelly, the Duggar family taking aim at privacy rights, the Springdale police department and Chief Kathy O’Kelley.
Kelly asks if there was any motivation that you know of for this police chief to hurt your family. The family responded, they’re “really not sure. I think there might be an agenda. Not sure if there was a bribe or not, some type of personal agenda or something. It definitely wasn’t to be caring about the victims.”
She (Police Chief Kathy O’Kelley) is getting ready to retire, and you know, just even a few weeks ago she said, I’m getting ready to retire and there’s a few things I wanna do before I retire.
Kelly asks, “You think you were on the list.”
Jim Bob responded and said “I think I was on the list.”
The family says the police reports should never have been released because the victims were minors, but Springdale city attorney Earnest Cate says the report was filed when Josh Duggar was 18 and none of the minors were identified. He believes the department followed the law.
We reached out to Chief O’Kelley for comment but she was out of town. A spokesman for the Springdale Police Department wouldn’t comment on the situation.
The Duggar family says they may take legal action against the city and the department.
They said, “We’re talking to some attorneys about that right now, and we’ll see. Hopefully justice will be served on the ones that release juvenile records to protect other juveniles from their records being released.”
