Staff Reports
It appears the Biden family’s black sheep, Hunter, has hit yet another snag in his already well-documented legal saga. As of Tuesday, Hunter Biden doesn’t have the right to practice law in the nation’s capital. This latest development is just one more consequence of his conviction in Delaware on multiple federal felonies — a fitting climax to his ongoing law-breaking escapades.
D.C. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby issued an order referencing Hunter’s guilt on three felony counts in Delaware. According to this order, his crimes qualify as “serious” under the D.C. Bar rules. No surprise here, folks; when you’re convicted of felonies, it’s a pretty solid indicator that your honesty, trustworthiness, and fitness to practice law might be in question.
JUST IN: Hunter Biden's law license has been suspended in D.C. pic.twitter.com/651MMPtMjP
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 25, 2024
The D.C. Bar’s rules are crystal clear: committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on a lawyer’s honesty or fitness for practice is a major no-no. They go on to elaborate that while not all illegal conduct disqualifies a lawyer, serious offenses involving fraud, dishonesty, or breach of trust certainly do. In other words, Hunter’s crimes hit all the right (or wrong) spots.
So, what does this mean for the infamous first son? Hunter has been “suspended immediately from the practice of law in the District of Columbia pending resolution of this matter.” Adding insult to injury, the Board on Professional Responsibility has been directed to investigate the true nature of Hunter’s offenses, determining whether they involve “moral turpitude” under D.C. law. It sounds like a fancy way of saying they’re making sure he’s not morally corrupt, but given his track record, they might as well save some time.
Hunter’s attention has now been directed to a laundry list of D.C. Bar rules for suspended attorneys, further complicating his already arduous navigational route through the legal system. The Disciplinary Counsel, meanwhile, has been ordered to keep the court posted if they manage to resolve this issue without dragging it back into court — a doubtful prospect given the Biden family’s luck with legal matters lately.
Meanwhile, Hunter has another courtroom date looming on his calendar. His second trial for alleged federal tax crimes is scheduled to kick off on September 5 in Los Angeles. He’s again being represented by well-known lawyer Abbe Lowell but judging by his recent track record, it remains to be seen if they can break their continuous losing streak. Hunter’s first sweetheart plea deal dramatically crumbled, leading to his conviction in Delaware for gun charges and this looming tax case in California—featuring accusations that he failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes over four years.
In the upcoming months, Hunter will try to navigate a courtroom instead of a boardroom, but judging by his performances thus far, Hunter might see his legal background permanently relegated to the footnotes of a failed résumé. The Biden family must be thrilled.
