Hunter Biden changes plea in federal tax case twice in one day, intends to plead guilty

For the second time in one day, Hunter Biden changed his plea in the federal case centered on nine tax charges ahead of the jury selection that was set to begin Thursday. 

This morning, the first son abruptly changed his "not guilty" plea to an Alford plea, a type of guilty plea in which he would acknowledge prosecutors have enough evidence to convict, but does not admit wrongdoing while accepting sentencing from the judge. But after opposition from prosecutors to the measure, Biden changed his plea to a standard guilty plea this afternoon, per CNN. 

U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi has now accepted the plea, and the first son will be sentenced in Los Angeles on Dec. 16. 

A grand jury originally returned an indictment on three felony tax charges and six misdemeanor charges last year. Hunter Biden previously pleaded not guilty to the charges in January.

The major reversal came shortly before jury selection was set to begin and followed a private meeting between his legal team, led by lawyer Abbe Lowell, and Judge Mark Scarsi of the Central District of California Thursday. 

The prosecutors led by Special counsel David Weiss objected to an Alford Plea from Biden. “I want to make something crystal clear–the United States oppose an Alford plea,” lead prosecutor Leo Wise said. “Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty. He is not permitted to plead guilty on special terms." 

The trial was set to bring some of the more salacious and embarrassing details of the first son’s “extravagant” lifestyle back to the forefront as prosecutors seek to show Hunter Biden’s state of mind as he spent wildly on pornography websites, strip clubs, and drugs while allegedly failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.