Hunter Biden, US President Joe Biden's son, pleaded guilty in his federal tax case on Thursday, right as his trial was about to begin.
Hunter Biden previously entered pleas of not guilty to all nine counts against him, and the reversal was made shortly before jury selection for the trial.
Defence lawyer Abbe Lowell told the judge in Los Angeles about Biden’s plans to change his previous pleas, months after he was convicted of gun charges in another case, but did not provide further details.
The US Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Biden in December, accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending millions on a lavish lifestyle, which included hotels and exotic dancers.
He was charged with three felony and six misdemeanour tax offences, according to the indictment, filed in federal court in California.
His lawyers had indicated they would argue that he did not act “wilfully” or with the intention to break the law, in part because of his well-documented struggles with alcohol and drug addiction.
Judge Mark Scarsi told Biden he faces up to 17 years in prison and up to $450,000 in penalties, and set sentencing for December 16.
Defendants who plead guilty in criminal cases typically work out an agreement with prosecutors beforehand, hoping to receive a lower sentence in exchange for avoiding trial, although that did not appear to be the case here.
Earlier in the day, Biden had offered to plead guilty to the charges but avoid admitting wrongdoing, an unusual legal manoeuvre called an "Alford plea". Prosecutors opposed that move.
After a break, Mr Lowell told the judge that Biden would plead guilty, despite having no prior agreement with prosecutors that would ease his sentence.
In a statement after the hearing, Biden said he pleaded guilty to spare his family from having to sit through a trial that would have aired messy details from a period of his life where he was suffering from drug addiction.
"For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this," he said. He added that he paid back his taxes.
Mr Lowell told reporters afterwards that Biden might appeal his sentence. He was found guilty in June of lying about his drug use to buy a gun illegally.
He is the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime. Asked if the President would pardon his son in the tax case, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "It's no, it's still no."
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Company%20profile
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Spec%20sheet
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Jawan
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
