A federal judge has dismissed the gun case against Hunter Biden after US President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son.
US District Judge Maryellen Noreika closed the case the week before Hunter Biden was to be sentenced.
He could have faced up to 25 years in prison, though as a first-time offender he was likely to have got far less time or avoided prison entirely.
Prosecutors opposed dismissing the case, arguing in court documents that a pardon should not wipe away the case “as if it never occurred”.
Hunter Biden was convicted on three felonies after he lied on a federal form to purchase a gun in Delaware by saying he was not a drug user in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged being addicted.
The Justice Department special counsel is also opposed to dismissing a case filed in California after he failed to pay 1.4 million dollars (£1.1 million) in taxes.
A federal judge in Los Angeles has not yet ruled in that case.
The president’s Sunday decision to go back on previous pledges and issue his son a blanket federal pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington, drawing criticism from many Democrats as well as Republicans and threatening to cloud Mr Biden’s legacy as he prepares to leave office on January 20.
Hunter Biden was originally supposed to strike a plea deal with prosecutors last year that would have spared him prison time, but the agreement fell apart after Judge Noreika questioned unusual aspects of it.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel