'Lock him up!': Hunter Biden slammed online as he seeks dismissal of felony gun charges once again
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE: Hunter Biden, the 53-year-old son of President Joe Biden, is reportedly seeking the dismissal of felony gun charges against him once again.
The latest legal maneuvers by his attorneys, evidenced by a series of motions filed on Tuesday, January 30, in Delaware district court, shed light on the proceedings ahead.
Diversion agreement dilemma
Biden's legal team, comprising of attorneys Abbe Lowell and Bartholomew J Dalton, highlighted the pivotal role of a diversion agreement in the case.
“The prosecution is bound by the agreements that it makes, approves, and signs with a defendant, just as it often seeks to hold defendants to the terms of the agreements that defendants make and sign,” Biden’s attorneys wrote in one motion.
“No matter how fervently the prosecution’s decision to enter into the Diversion Agreement is criticized by extremist Republican politicians and the right-wing press, the prosecution remains bound by the agreement it struck. The Court must not allow the prosecution to renege on its agreement.”
The controversial events of last July came into focus, when Biden seemed poised to receive extensive immunity protection through a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
The agreement, which aimed to shield Biden from prosecution on felony charges of possessing a firearm while addicted to crack cocaine and providing false information about his drug use, ultimately unraveled in a Delaware courtroom.
The latest turn of events marked a critical juncture leading to the involvement of Special Counsel David Weiss, who assumed the role of special counsel a month after the plea agreement's collapse.
Weiss' Legitimacy Challenge
Biden's legal team contends that Weiss was improperly appointed as special counsel, insisting that regulations mandate the selection of a special counsel from outside the United States Government.
“Special Counsel Weiss is not authorized to prosecute this case or bring this indictment,” Lowell and Dalton wrote, arguing that regulations require that “[t]he Special Counsel shall be selected from outside the United States Government."
“The problem here is that Mr. Weiss is not eligible to be a Special Counsel because he already is part of the United States government as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, so he is not independent of the United States government,” they added.
The accusations escalated, with Biden's legal team branding Weiss' prosecution as "selective and vindictive." They claim that Weiss succumbed to political pressure, specifically from Republicans, leading to the abandonment of the diversion deal and the pursuit of felony charges against Hunter Biden.
“[W]e know exactly how Mr. Weiss would have resolved this case absent outside pressure to treat Mr. Biden more harshly because Mr. Weiss did try to resolve,” the motion stated.
“That is until Mr. Weiss was under pressure and heavy criticism from Republican extremists arose,” it continued. “In response to that outcry from former President Trump, extremist House Republicans, and right-wing media looking to make Mr. Biden’s fate a political issue in the next presidential election, the prosecution blew up that deal and now has brought felony charges against Mr. Biden both here in Delaware and in California and is seeking a heavy prison sentence for charges the prosecution was willing to resolve for probation just months ago.”
Citing current law and referencing rulings from lower courts, including the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, the attorneys made a case for the dismissal of the charges.
Social Media Backlash
The first son was squarely criticized on social media for asking the judge to dismiss charges against him once again.
"Hunter still thinks that he's above the law," one posted on X.
"Send him away," another insisted.
"Lock him up! So tired of these people getting away with everything! Our government sucks!" someone else fumed.
"Soon, Hunter will be painting his own courtroom renderings," another quipped.
Lock him up! So tired of these people getting away with everything! Our government sucks!
— Susan Hicks (@SusanHicks24235) January 30, 2024
Soon, Hunter will be painting his own courtroom renderings 👍
— Ready, Steady... (@5_4_3_GO) January 30, 2024
In addition to the gun case, Hunter Biden faces a parallel legal battle in Southern California, where he is confronted with nine counts related to tax fraud, including three felony charges. Despite the mounting legal challenges, Biden has maintained a plea of not guilty, the New York Post reported.