Hunter Biden's Surprising Plea: A Desperate Attempt to Avoid Trial and Protect His Family

 Edited by Umar-Mark Victor

Source; The New York Times

Hunter Biden is charged with three tax-related offenses: tax evasion, failure to file and pay taxes, and filing a false tax return.

       In a shocking turn of events, Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has entered an Alford plea in his tax case, acknowledging that there is enough evidence to convict him while maintaining his innocence. This unexpected move comes just before the start of his trial, which was set to begin with jury selection on Thursday.

A Last-Minute Gambit to Avoid Trial

         Hunter Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, entered the Alford plea just 30 minutes before jury selection was scheduled to begin. This unusual maneuver is typically used to stall plea negotiations, postpone a proceeding, or avoid a trial altogether by skipping straight to the sentencing process.

The Alford Plea: A Rare and Unusual Move

The Alford plea is named after a Supreme Court decision and is rarely used. It allows a defendant to acknowledge that there is enough evidence to convict them without admitting guilt. This move is often used when a defendant wants to avoid the expense and ordeal of a trial, but still maintain their innocence.

Uncertainty Over the Plea's Acceptance

       It is unclear whether Judge Mark C. Scarsi, a Trump appointee presiding over the case, will accept the Alford plea. The judge recessed the case for two hours to give prosecutors a chance to respond and indicated that he was still prepared to proceed with interviewing 120 jurors before the end of the week.

Prosecutors opposed the plea, and the Justice Department has a high bar for accepting Alford pleas. The department's procedural guidebook mandates that they be rejected "except in the most unusual circumstances" and only after being approved by senior department leaders.

Consequences of a Rejected Plea

       If the court rejects the Alford plea, Hunter Biden's lawyers will be faced with a difficult decision. They can either plead guilty to avoid the trial or proceed with preparations for a potentially grueling and costly public spectacle that may produce the same negative outcome.

Hunter Biden's Motivations

        People close to Hunter Biden say he is desperate to avoid dragging his family into the humiliation of a second trial, particularly his daughters Naomi and Maisy, who may be called to testify. He is also concerned about the possibility of prison time, which could be up to 17 years if he is convicted of the tax charges.

The personal stakes for Hunter Biden have never been higher. He is already facing a maximum of 25 years on his gun conviction, although his sentence is likely to be much lower as a first-time felon who has been clean and sober for several years.

The Political Implications

       House Republicans had once seen Hunter Biden's legal troubles as a key element in their plan to undermine his father's standing with voters. However, their attempts to prove that the son and the father conspired to create a "Biden crime family" never materialized, and prosecutors have made it clear that the California case will not include evidence of official wrongdoing by President Biden when he was vice president.

In recent weeks, Hunter Biden's team has been in regular communication with the prosecution team over procedural matters, but there have been no indications that the two sides are close to a plea agreement.

The Road Ahead

Hunter Biden's fate remains uncertain as he awaits the court's decision on his Alford plea. If the plea is rejected, he will face a trial that could have serious consequences for him and his family.