After downplaying a charge of misdemeanor for endangering the welfare of a child back in September, reality TV star Jana Duggar, who rose to fame on the series "19 Kids and Counting," has pleaded guilty and has reached a settlement outside of court.
The 31-year-old was charged with the misdemeanor on September 9, 2021, as per court documents, but on Tuesday, an official at the district court in Elm Springs, Arkansas confirmed that the case had been settled.
According to Fox News, the "Counting On" star pleaded guilty on December 15 after her initial plea of not guilty. She was then ordered to pay a fine amounting to $880.
News of Duggar's child endangerment case came to light in December, just 24 hours after her older brother, Josh Duggar, who also starrred in the reality show highlighting the family's Christian values, was was convicted on two counts of receiving and possessing child pornography.
In December, Duggar took to social media to explain that one of the children she was babysitting had escaped outdoors alone, saying it was all an "accident." The "19 Kids and Counting" star explained "the raw facts," saying that "one of the children wandered outside alone" and that a "passerby" who saw the child all alone had alerted the police.
"This resulted in a written citation, as well as a follow-up with child welfare who concluded that it was an accident and the child was unharmed," Duggar stated in an Instagram Story post. "They recognized it was a case of a child slipping out of the house when you turn your back for a moment. It all happened so quickly and was scary."
Duggar then thanked law enforcement and clarified that she was never arrested in relation to the incident. Her cousin Amy Duggar King, who has long been vocal about issues surrounding the family, immediately showed her support for Duggar on Instagram, saying the incident "couldn't have been intentional."
Duggar's sister, Jessa Duggar Seewald, also took to Instagram to defend her, writing that it was "an innocent mistake" that "could've happened to anyone," the Christian Post reported. In the state of Arkansas, a person convicted for misdemeanor for endangering the welfare of a child will be punished by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to 90 days in jail.
Some good news
Elsewhere in the Duggar family, the 23 year old Jeremiah Duggar recently got engaged to his girlfriend, Hannah Wissman. The pair announced their engagement on their respective Instagram accounts, PEOPLE reported. Jeremiah first announced that Wissman was indeed his girlfriend in October. Members of the Duggar family expressed their well wishes by commenting on their posts.
"She said YES!!!! Hannah, getting to know you for the past year has been so incredible! I can't even find the words to describe it," Jeremiah wrote on his Instagram post. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I cannot wait to marry you. I love you!!"
