LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hunter Biden wants to change his not guilty plea to avoid going to trial on federal tax evasion charges , his defense attorney said Thursday, appearing to surprise prosecutors and the judge just as jury selection was set to begin.
LOS ANGELES — Hunter Biden wants to change his not guilty plea to avoid going to trial on federal tax evasion charges , his defense attorney said Thursday, appearing to surprise prosecutors and the judge just as jury selection was set to begin.
“Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty,” prosecutor Leo Wise said. “He is not entitled to plead guilty on special terms that apply only to him.” The defense’s announcement appeared to catch prosecutors and the judge off guard at Los Angeles' federal courthouse, where more than 100 potential jurors had been brought to begin questioning Thursday. Opening statements in the case were expected Monday.
Hunter Biden walked into the courtroom holding hands with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and flanked by Secret Service agents. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to the charges related to his 2016 through 2019 taxes and his attorneys have indicated they will argue he didn’t act “willfully,” or with the intention to break the law, in part because of his well-documented struggles with alcohol and drug addiction.
Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, also placed some restrictions on what jurors would be allowed to hear about the traumatic events that Hunter Biden's family, friends and attorneys say led to his drug addiction. Hunter Biden’s attorneys had asked Scarsi to also limit prosecutors from highlighting details of his expenses that they say amount to a “character assassination,” including payments made to strippers or pornographic websites. The judge has said in court papers that he will maintain “strict control” over the presentation of potentially salacious evidence.
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