The decision, which was first reported by NBC News, is a reversal for the president, who repeatedly said he would not use his authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence.

Summary

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.

The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.

Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.

Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.

This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.

  • kreskin@lemmy.world
    3725·
    2 days ago

    We don’t care about this because Hunter was the target of a witch hunt.

    He was convicted in court by a jury of his peers same as every other American under charges would see. He wasnt convicted in some political “witch hunt” process in congress, nor was he convicted by an activist judge. The congressional investigation went nowhere and was shut down. Hunters convictions carried a sentence of 15 to 21 months. If his conviction is unfair and needs to be resisted then the entire system of justice in america is unfair.

    The actual “crimes” weren’t impactful at all.

    thats not your call to make. This is just another case of hard justice being for the little people only, and you seem to be cheering that on. How low can you go, man. Biden spent a lifetime banging tables pretending to be a tough on crime guy. You seem to have forgotten all of that.

    • DarkFuture@lemmy.worldEnglish
      51·
      2 days ago

      He was convicted in court by a jury of his peers same as every other American under charges would see.

      So was Trump. But he got away with it and is now President. Hell, he didn’t even have to go through the process for most of his crimes. Just bypassed it all.

      Nothing else matters now. The rest of your comment is irrelevant. The justice system is irrelevant.

      Free Hunter!!!

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
      467·
      2 days ago

      This never should have been before a jury.

      The prosecution had agreed to drop the gun charge as apart of a plea bargain (because it’s a crime that is only ever used as an add-on for violent crimes). But the fucking judge rejected the plea deal after Biden had admitted guilt.

      That’s bullshit and 100% should have been thrown out.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        610·
        2 days ago

        I’m not a lawyer, but I thought the way it worked was that the prosecutor offers the plea bargain and the accused accepts but it’s still up to the judge’s discretion whether that accepted plea bargain goes through, meaning that the system was working as it always works and it wasn’t some sort of special persecution deal.

        • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
          312·
          2 days ago

          The judge almost never throws out a plea bargain - and it’s almost unheard of for one to throw it out for not being harsh enough.

          They’re more often rejected for thing like a plea bargain where the case should be dismissed entirely or the defendant has a very good chance of winning or securing a lesser conviction at trial. Judges are supposed to err on the side of leniency.

          Rejecting a plea bargain because a charge that is almost never prosecuted is being dismissed is judicial malpractice.

          The gun crime he was convicted for is one that anyone who has ever smoked pot is guilty of if they ever touched a gun before quitting pot entirely.

          If a resident of Colorado eats a gummy legally and has a gun in the safe at home, they’ve committed the same crime.

          • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
            121·
            2 days ago

            If Conservatives cared about this law, all they would have to do is pull dispensary ID logs and probably a tenth or more of all gun applicants could be arrested. But they don’t do that because people don’t care, and they just want another law they can apply selectively.