another criminal trial
The rule of law applies
Hunter Biden goes on trial in Delaware this morning on three federal gun charges resulting from lying on a form on which he denied substance abuse when purchasing a fire arm. This denial constitutes a felony under U.S. Criminal Code. It would be a groundbreaking step should the son of the sitting president be convicted of a federal crime.
Biden, according to press reports, will plead not guilty to the charges.
The fifty-four year old is known to have abused cocaine and alcohol several years ago. His seedy behaviour over several years led to multiple rather questionable choices, including fathering a daughter out of wedlock. Hunter’s name has appeared in various controversies, though absolutely no evidence—despite attempts by the House of Representatives Republicans to the contrary—links any of it to the president himself.
If convicted of lying about the questions on the application for a fire arm, Hunter could face a quarter century in jail. Some analysts note jail time would be unlikely because the defendant has no prior history in the criminal justice system but life is rarely, if ever, straightline in its judgments.
A year ago the president’s son had a bizarre incident relating to a plea bargain associated with the gun charges and a tax case. The judge in June 2023 found the bargain unacceptable. The Biden team simultaneously walked away from negotiations upon learning that Special Prosecutor David Weiss was still investigating the defendant. Weiss subsequently filed the three gun charges. A second prosecution on tax charges, which he repaid in recent years, will occur later in 2024.
Hunter Biden faces trial before twelve of his citizen peers beginning today, then similarly in September in Los Angeles. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democratic Senator, and Henry Cuellar, Democratic Representative from Texas, also face criminal trials resulting from Justice Department investigations, then Grand Jury indictments by their peers. The Biden Justice Department is trying this case as it tries all legal cases at the federal level in the United States, regardless of defendant.
We either operate under the rule of law or we don’t as America. No one stands above the law.
Rebuttals? Thoughts? Solutions, more importantly? I welcome your thoughts. Actions create consequences. I welcome your thoughts as democracies most often fail from within, as loyal reader Wayne Selcher reminded me yesterday, rather than because of external threats.
Thank you for taking time to read ACC today and any day. If you find this of value, please circulate it. Thanks to those who support this column as a subscriber as you energise my work daily.
Be well and be safe. FIN
Aditi Sengal, Mike Hayes, and Meghan Chowdry, ‘Hunter Biden plea deal on hold after judge unable to accept agreement’, CNN.com, 26 July 2023, retrieved at https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/hunter-biden-tax-charges-hearing/index.html
Marshall Cohen, ‘What to know about the federal gun trial Hunter Biden faces this week’, CNN.com, 2 June 2024
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs posted in January a 2023 public opinion survey that showed that "Americans are far more concerned about threats within the United States, like weakening democracy and political polarization, than they are about threats outside of the country, like terrorism and the nuclear programs of other countries."
https://globalaffairs.org/research/public-opinion-survey/americans-more-concerned-about-threats-home-abroad
Important to note that the idea of the “rule of law” has its basis from the Greeks and more recently, in 1215 when the Magna Carta was signed; not even the king was above the law. And yet here we are today…. And how many senior leaders behave as if they are. An age old problem. I do agree that if we don’t abide, we will no longer be “the land of the free and home of the brave.” I include “the brave” as it takes courage to hold people accountable…
P.S. This summer our family trip will include Salisbury, UK. One of the homes of the Magna Carta. As an aspiring lawyer, my daughter wants to pay homage!