Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, has offered to plead guilty to nine tax charges he faces in federal court without a deal with prosecutors, his lawyers said in court on Thursday (5).
Previously, Hunter tried to resolve this California tax evasion case in a way where he pleaded not guilty but would still accept punishment.
That deal, however, would not be finalized until U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, a Trump appointee who presided over the tax case, gives his approval in open court. He said Thursday that he would make his decision at a later date.
That kind of deal, called an “Alford plea,” would have Hunter Biden acknowledge that special counsel David Weiss has enough evidence to convict him — and then he would accept whatever sentence Judge Scarsi eventually hands down.
But in a stunning turnaround on Thursday afternoon, Hunter’s team reversed course and instead said he was prepared to admit his conduct amounted to the tax offences he was accused of.
Hunter Biden testified under oath in federal court in Los Angeles that no one made him any promises to convince him to plead guilty. The president’s son also testified that no one pressured him to plead guilty in any way.
Prosecutors said they want Scarsi to specifically ask Hunter whether he admits all the allegations in the indictment are true.
“There has to be a factual basis for the court to accept the allegation. It has to be crystal clear… The defendant should be required to indicate whether he agrees or disagrees with any of the facts presented,” prosecutor Leo Wise told the judge.
Prosecutors on Weiss’s team stressed that they would oppose the so-called “Alford plea.”
Wise told the judge that Biden attorney Abbe Lowell’s comments in court earlier in the day were the first he had learned of a possible change in the plea.
“I want to make something very clear: The United States opposes an Alford plea,” Wise said.
“Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty. He is not allowed to plead guilty on special terms,” he added.
Attorney Lowell previously noted that “there was no agreement” between the parties — such as a plea deal, in which Hunter would plead guilty to some charges in exchange for other charges being dropped.
The only offer Hunter’s team received from prosecutors, according to Lowell, was for him to plead guilty to all nine charges.
Understand the case
This would have been Hunter Biden’s second criminal trial this year, after he was convicted in June on three federal counts of illegal gun possession in Wilmington, Delaware.
Hunter has been charged with nine tax crimes, including three felony counts. Prosecutors allege he failed to pay $1.4 million in federal income taxes and evaded taxes by filing income tax returns with fraudulent business deductions.
They also allege the US president’s son was spending the money on luxury cars, extravagant hotels and sex workers, instead of paying taxes when they were due.
Hunter ended up paying about $2 million in back taxes and fines after learning about the investigation and getting sober — he had struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism for years.
In the weeks leading up to the trial, the judge barred Hunter Biden’s lawyers from telling jurors about his late tax payments or the possible origins of his addiction, dealing a major blow to his defense strategy.
During the brief hearing, Scarsi noted that there were about 120 potential jurors waiting inside the courthouse because the jury selection process was scheduled to begin Thursday morning.
Evaluation of Hunter’s proposal
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi indicated that if he does not accept Biden’s attempt to resolve the case promptly, the trial will proceed with jury selection on Friday (6) as planned.
Attorney Lowell criticized prosecutors for accusing Hunter of seeking special treatment.
“I know this makes headlines,” but “it’s so wrong,” Lowell said.
He added: “[A alegação de] Alford exists. The Supreme Court said it exists” and “all over the United States, people do it.”
*Emma Tucker, from CNN, contributed to this report
This content was originally published in Hunter Biden offers guilty plea in tax violations case on CNN Brasil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
