Hunter Biden is trying to play it cute.
Biden surprised a Los Angeles courtroom when he announced his intention to plead guilty to a tax evasion charges, while simultaneously saying the plea was not an admission of guilt. The unique plea of guilty while admitting no wrongdoing is known as an “Alford plea.”
But federal prosecutors are showing no signs of letting him get away with the cutesie move.
“We were as shocked as anyone in the courtroom this morning,” prosecutor Leo Wise said. “I don’t know how the defendant could maintain his innocence and agree the facts are true.”
Biden had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge. Jury selection was set to begin Thursday — just as Biden made his move to plead guilty while maintaining his innocence.
Biden faces up to 17 years in the tax case, and another 25 years in a gun case in Delaware.
The New York Post has more details:
Hunter Biden shocked a Los Angeles federal courtroom Thursday when he tried to plead guilty just as jury selection in his tax evasion trial was set to begin – but prosecutors asked a judge to reject it since the first son wouldn’t actually be accepting guilt.
Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for President Biden’s son, told Judge Mark Scarsi that his First Son client wanted to enter an Alford plea – allowing him to plead guilty but maintain his innocence.
The sudden request came as a blindside to prosecutor Leo Wise, who, after a 3-hour recess told Scarsi that the federal government wanted the legal maneuver to be rejected.
“We were as shocked as anyone in the courtroom this morning,” Wise said. “I don’t know how the defendant could maintain his innocence and agree the facts are true.”
Lowell admitted “There is overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt,” but he said “this can be resolved today. It’s not a complicated issue.”
“I don’t know why the government wants to punt,” Lowell fired back. “I don’t know why it needs more time. We should be able to get this done.”
Jury selection had been scheduled to start Thursday morning before the surprise announcement.
President Biden’s son, who arrived at court hand in hand with wife Melissa Cohen, was facing his second trial in just a few months after he was convicted in June of illegally owning a gun while hooked on drugs.
The younger Biden was facing the new trial on nine federal charges for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes for the years 2016 through 2019.
If convicted at the second trial, the 54-year-old Biden would have faced up to 17 years behind bars.
The embattled first son also faces 25 years behind bars when he’s sentenced in the gun case in November.
Before the sudden decision to plead guilty, Scarsi told the parties he had 120 potential jurors in the building ready for jury selection, which was supposed to take up the court day on Thursday.
The judge explained how the selection process would play out, including questioning the prospective panelists with just the lawyers, Hunter and the judge present because they didn’t have enough space in the courtroom for the jury pool and members of the public.
“We don’t have room for any spectators or press,” Scarsi said, after Lowell asked why Hunter’s wife, Melissa Cohen, wasn’t permitted inside.