Hunter Biden’s federal gun case dismissed after being pardoned by his father
Federal judge dismisses gun case against Hunter Biden on Tuesday following President Biden’s election A blanket pardon was issued For his son.
U.S. District Judge Marilyn Noreka concluded the case a week before Hunter Biden is sentenced. He could face up to 25 years in prison, but as a first-time offender, he could get much less or even avoid jail time entirely.
Prosecutors opposed dismissal of the case, arguing in court documents that a pardon should not make the case disappear “as if it never happened.” Hunter Biden was convicted of three felonies in 2018 after he lied on a federal form to buy a gun in Delaware and said he was not a drug addict when he admitted to drug addiction.
Justice Department special counsel also opposes dismissal of Hunter Biden case later filed in California Failure to pay $1.4 million in taxes. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi in Los Angeles said he would dismiss the case once the pardon is formally received.
Scalzi, however, was critical of the president’s assertion that his son was being singled out for political reasons, saying two judges rejected similar arguments by his defense attorneys.
The president’s decision on Sunday to back away from a previous promise to grant a full federal pardon to his son for his actions over the past 11 years has set off a political uproar in Washington, drawing criticism from many Democrats and Republicans and threatening to cast a shadow on Biden’s legacy. Upper shadow. As he prepares to step down on January 20th.
Lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump in their own motion Tuesday invoke pardon Request to dismiss Trump’s conviction in New York “hush money” case.
Hunter Biden was supposed to reach a plea deal with prosecutors last year that would have spared him prison time, but the agreement fell apart after Noreka raised questions about its unusual aspects.
exist his statement announced After the pardon, Biden said, “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the decisions of the Department of Justice, and I kept that promise even as I watched my son be selectively and unfairly prosecuted. Promise.”
Biden claimed that his son was “treated differently” than others in similar situations and that the allegations came after “several political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election.”
The pardon applies to any crimes Hunter may have committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
Hunter Biden accused In October 2018, he lied to buy a gun while he was high on drugs. Federal law prohibits illegal drug users from possessing firearms.
June, Delaware jury found him guilty One count each of making a false statement when purchasing a firearm, making a false statement regarding information required to be maintained by a federally licensed firearms dealer, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user or addict to a controlled substance.
Then in September, Hunter reach plea agreement Nine counts in federal tax evasion case in Los Angeles. In that case, he faced up to 17 years in prison before being pardoned.
