Hunter "Will Free Family from Pain"
Sentencing Scheduled for December 16
Hunter Biden, the second son of President Joe Biden, has pleaded guilty in a criminal tax evasion trial, CNN and others reported on the 5th (local time).
According to reports, Hunter Biden admitted guilt to all nine tax evasion charges, including felony tax evasion, during a hearing held at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles (LA) on the same day.
Judge Mark Scarsi, presiding over the trial, asked Hunter Biden if he understood that by pleading guilty, he could face up to 17 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.3 million, and that in some states he could be disqualified from holding public office. Hunter Biden responded, "Yes."
The Washington Post reported, "During the approximately 90-minute hearing, the prosecution read the full 56-page indictment, and Hunter Biden repeatedly admitted guilt each time the prosecutor read the charges."
Hunter Biden's attorney, Abby Lowell, emphasized to reporters, "Hunter put his family first today," calling it "a brave and loving act." Hunter Biden avoided a press conference but stated in a written statement, "(The prosecution) focused on dehumanizing me rather than justice," and added, "I will no longer cause my family pain or invade their privacy to create unnecessary embarrassment."
Earlier, Hunter Biden was indicted in December last year on charges of failing to pay at least $1.4 million (approximately 1.87 billion KRW) in taxes over four years from 2016 to 2019. David Weiss, the special prosecutor who indicted Hunter, claimed in the indictment that "Hunter spent millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle instead of paying taxes."
CNN expressed surprise, stating, "Hunter Biden's guilty plea was a unilateral action made without prior consultation with the prosecution." It explained that it is rare for a socially prominent defendant to plead guilty without a plea bargain with prosecutors.
Previously, Hunter Biden's side requested a conditional guilty plea agreement known as an 'Alford plea' to the judge and prosecutors. An Alford plea is a method in criminal trials where the defendant maintains innocence but formally acknowledges the prosecution's evidence, guilty verdict, and sentencing, thereby skipping the trial process.
CNN noted, "It seems Hunter Biden's side withdrew from the Alford plea plan due to strong opposition from the prosecution." Leo Wise, a prosecutor from Weiss's special counsel team, said about Hunter Biden's sudden guilty plea, "Like everyone else in the courtroom this morning, we were shocked."
This is not the first trial in which Hunter Biden has been found guilty. Previously, he was convicted in June this year by a jury trial at the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, on charges of purchasing and possessing firearms while concealing his drug addiction in 2018. Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. Sentencing for the firearms possession charge is scheduled for November 13, and sentencing for the tax evasion charges is set for December 16.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed questions on the same day about whether President Biden plans to pardon his son in the future, saying, "Not at this time." The Associated Press noted, "Since President Biden has withdrawn from the Democratic presidential race, the political impact of Hunter's criminal trial has diminished," but added, "It could still be a significant burden for him as he concludes his 50-year political career."
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