A look at the winding legal saga of Hunter Biden that ended in an unexpected guilty plea

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The legal saga surrounding Hunter Biden took an unexpected turn when he pleaded guilty to nine federal tax counts after prosecutors refused to budge in their opposition to a special plea that would have allowed him to maintain his innocence.

The twist that played out as jury selection was scheduled to start in the tax trial Thursday almost brings to a close a yearslong investigation of President Joe Biden's son. The case has been punctuated by Republicans' allegations of preferential treatment and accusations by his defense attorneys that prosecutors overcorrected and bowed to political pressure when two indictments were issued as a previous plea deal fell apart.

Hunter Biden will now await sentencing in both his June jury conviction on charges that he lied about his drug use on a federal form to purchase a gun, which he possessed for 11 days, and the tax case he pleaded guilty to Thursday.

Here's a look at the winding legal road that led to the surprise plea.

Hunter Biden had initially agreed to plead guilty to a negotiated misdemeanor tax charge as part of a deal with the Justice Department. That deal would have seen the gun charges dismissed in a diversion agreement as long as he stayed out of trouble for two years and likely would have come with a recommendation for no prison time.

The agreement collapsed last year after a federal judge in Delaware questioned several unusual aspects, including how it was packaged.

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel a month later, in August 2023, giving the prosecutor broad authority to investigate and report out his findings. Hunter Biden was subsequently indicted in two separate cases: the gun charges in Delaware and the tax charges in California.

Hunter Biden's attorneys made several failed motions asking for the gun charges to be dropped — ranging from questioning their constitutionality to challenging the appointment of the special counsel — over the months between the indictment and trial in early June.

After not even six full days of testimony in June, a Delaware jury took less than three hours to convict Hunter Biden on the gun charges.

Prosecutors presented sometimes relentless personal details about his drug use, purchases and relationships — showing photos and texts from his ex-girlfriends and pressing his oldest daughter about her ability to tell if he was sober — all while family members including first lady Jill Biden watched from the gallery, some of them choking back tears.

After the conviction, prosecutors turned their focus to the California tax charges alleging that Hunter Biden had engaged in a four-year scheme to avoid paying more than $1.4 million in taxes for the years 2016 through 2019 while living a lavish lifestyle of top-tier hotels, payments to escorts and purchasing exotic cars.

Although the political stakes of the second trial largely evaporated when President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid in July, weeks of arguments between prosecutors and defense attorneys over what evidence could be presented to jurors indicated California could be a repeat of the painful airing of personal details. It was unclear if Hunter Biden's daughters would have been called as witnesses in the case, but both were listed in a glossary provided to court staff by prosecutors.

About a half-hour before the questioning of potential jurors was set to begin Thursday, Hunter Biden's attorneys announced to a judge that they would like to enter into what's known as an Alford plea. The maneuver, named after a U.S. Supreme Court case, allows a defendant to acknowledge that prosecutors have enough evidence to convince a jury of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but also allows them to maintain their claim of innocence.

Prosecutors immediately balked at the idea. Lead prosecutor Leo Wise told U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi that the government opposed an Alford plea saying, “Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty.”

Prosecutors do not have to agree to an Alford plea, but Scarsi was prepared to give the government until the end of the day to file its objections before ruling on whether he would accept the plea, likely after reconvening Friday.

Instead, Hunter Biden changed his plea to guilty on all nine of the tax charges. There was no offer on the table from prosecutors to reduce those charges or to recommend a lesser sentence, and prosecutors read the charging documents aloud for more than an hour before he was asked to enter the plea.

Hunter Biden issued a written statement about his decision to plead guilty, saying: “I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment. For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this.”

Hunter Biden will now face sentencing in both cases. He faces up to 25 years at his Nov. 13 sentencing hearing in Delaware, though as a first-time offender he would likely receive a lesser sentence. He faces up to 17 years and a fine of up to $1.3 million on the tax charges at a scheduled Dec. 16 sentencing.

Lauer reported from Philadelphia.

Abbe Lowell, right, an attorney for Hunter Biden, leaves federal court after Biden pled guilty to federal tax charges, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Police officers guard the entrance to a federal courthouse after Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in his felony federal tax case, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Members of Hunter Biden's defense team stand outside federal court after Biden pleaded guilty in his felony federal tax case, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Abbe Lowell, left, an attorney for Hunter Biden, makes a statement after Biden pled guilty to federal tax charges, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Hunter Biden leaves federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Shogun” had historic wins in an epic 18-Emmy first season, “Hacks” scored an upset for best comedy on what was still a four-trophy night for “The Bear,” and “Baby Reindeer” had a holiday at an Emmy Awards that had some surprising swerves.

“Shogun," the FX series about power struggles in feudal Japan, won best drama series, Hiroyuki Sanada won best actor in a drama, and Anna Sawai won best actress. Sanada was the first Japanese actor to win an Emmy. Sawai became the second just moments later.

”‘Shogun’ taught me when we work together, we can make miracles,” Sanada said in his acceptance speech from the stage of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Along with 14 Emmys it claimed at the precursor Creative Arts Emmys, it had an unmatched performance with 18 overall for one season.

“Hacks” was the surprise winner of its first best comedy series award, topping “The Bear,” which most had expected to take it after big wins earlier in the evening.

Jean Smart won her third best actress in a comedy award for the third season of Max's “Hacks,” in which her stand-up comic character Deborah Vance tries to make it in late-night TV. Smart has six Emmys overall.

Despite losing out on the night's biggest comedy prize after winning it for its first season at January's strike-delayed ceremony, FX's “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White won best actor in a comedy for the second straight year, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach repeated as best supporting actor.

And Liza Colón-Zayas was the surprise best supporting actor winner over competition that included Meryl Streep, becoming the first Latina to win in the category.

“To all the Latinas who are looking at me,” she said, her eyes welling with tears. “keep believing, and vote.”

Netflix’s darkly quirky “Baby Reindeer” won best limited series. Creator and star Richard Gadd won for his lead acting and his writing and Jessica Gunning, who plays his tormentor, won best supporting actress.

Accepting the series award, Gadd urged the makers of television to take chances.

“The only constant across any success in television is good storytelling," he said. "Good storytelling that speaks to our times. So take risks, push boundaries. Explore the uncomfortable. Dare to fail in order to achieve.”

“Baby Reindeer” is based on a one man-stage show in which Gadd describes being sexually abused along with other emotional struggles.

Accepting that award, he said, “no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better.”

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Gadd has.

Jodie Foster won her first Emmy to go with her two Oscars when she took best actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country.”

Foster played a salty police chief investigating a mass killing in the round-the-clock dark of an Alaskan winter on the HBO show. While her castmate Kali Reis missed out on becoming the first Indigenous actor to win an Emmy in the supporting category, Foster praised her, and the show's collaboration with Indigenous contributors.

“The Inupiaq and Inuit people of northern Alaska who told us their stories, and they allowed us to listen," Foster said. "That was just a blessing. It was love, love, love, and when you feel that, something amazing happens.”

Greg Berlanti, a producer and writer on shows including “Dawson's Creek” and “Everwood,” received the Television Academy's Governors Award for his career-long contributions to improving LGBTQ visibility on television. He talked about a childhood when there was little such visibility.

“There wasn’t a lot of gay characters on television back then, and I was a closeted gay kid," Berlanti said. "It’s hard to describe how lonely that was at the time,”

The long decline of traditional broadcast TV at the Emmys continued, with zero wins between the four broadcast networks.

In the monologue that opened the ABC telecast, Dan Levy, who hosted with his father and “Schitt's Creek” co-star Eugene Levy, called the Emmys “broadcast TV’s biggest night for honoring movie stars on streaming services.”

Though other than Foster, movie stars didn't fare too well. Her fellow Oscar winners Streep and Robert Downey Jr. had been among the favorites, but came up empty.

“Robert Downey Jr. I have a poster of you in my house!” said Lamorne Morris, who beat Downey for best supporting actor in a limited series, said from the stage as he accepted his first Emmy.

The evening managed to meet many expectations but included several swerves like the win for “Hacks.”

“We were really shocked,” “Hacks co-creator Jen Statsky, who also won for writing, said after the show. ”We were truly, really surprised."

And “Shogun” got off to a quiet start, missing on early awards and not getting its first trophy until past the halfway point.

Still, it shattered the record for Emmys for one season previously held by the 2008 limited series “John Adams” in 2008. And its acting wins would have been hard to imagine before the series became an acclaimed phenomenon.

Sanada is a 63-year-old longtime screen star whose name is little known outside Japan, even if his face is through Hollywood films like “The Last Samurai” and “John Wick Chapter 4.” Sawai, 32, who was born in New Zealand and moved to Japan as a child, is significantly less known in the U.S. She wept when she accepted best actress.

"When you saw me cry on stage, it was probably the 12th time I cried today," Sawai said backstage. “It was just mixed emotions, wanting everyone to win all that. I may cry again now.”

“The Bear” would finish second with 11 overall Emmys, including guest acting wins at the Creative Arts ceremony for Jamie Lee Curtis and Jon Bernthal.

The Levys in their opening monologue mocked the show being in the comedy category.

“In honor of ‘The Bear’ we will be making no jokes,” Eugene Levy said, to laughs.

Elizabeth Debicki took best supporting actress in a drama for playing Princess Diana at the end of her life in the sixth and final season of “The Crown.”

“Playing this part, based on this unparalleled, incredible human being, has been my great privilege," Debicki said in her acceptance. "It’s been a gift.”

Several awards were presented by themed teams from TV history, including sitcom dads George Lopez, Damon Wayans and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and TV moms Meredith Baxter, Connie Britton, and Susan Kelechi Watson.

For more on this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards

Anna Sawai, winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun", poses in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Anna Sawai, left, winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun", and Hiroyuki Sanada, winner of the awards for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, and outstanding drama series for "Shogun" pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hannah Einbinder, left, and Jean Smart pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hannah Einbinder, left, and Jean Smart accept the award for outstanding comedy series for "Hacks" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Jen Statsky, center from left, Paul W. Downs, and Lucia Aniello, and the team from "Hacks" accept the award for outstanding comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hiroyuki Sanada accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Steven Yeun looks on from right.(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hiroyuki Sanada accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Justin Marks, center, and Hiroyuki Sanada, center right, and the team from "Shogun" accepts the award for outstanding drama series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Anna Sawai accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Richard Gadd accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for "Baby Reindeer" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Jen Statsky, from left, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs accept the award for outstanding writing for a comedy series for "Hacks" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Anna Sawai accepts the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Richard Gadd poses in the press room with the award for outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or movie for "Baby Reindeer" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Liza Colón-Zayas arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "The Bear" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ayo Edebiri arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Billy Crudup accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "The Morning Show" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Yelena Yemchuk, left, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach arrive at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hosts Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hosts Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Skye P. Marshall, left, and Kathy Bates arrive at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

William Stanford Davis arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Jesse Tyler Ferguson arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

James Johnson, from left, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, and Cathy Tagnak Rexford arrive at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Sterlin Harjo arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Andrew Scott arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Dan Levy arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Elizabeth Debicki accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for "The Crown" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach accepts the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for "The Bear" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Selena Gomez arrives at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Steve Martin, from left, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez present the award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hosts Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy speak during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Liza Colon-Zayas accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for "The Bear" during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

FILE - Eugene Levy, left, and Dan Levy appear at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

This image released by FX shows Hiroyuki Sanada in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Jeremy Allen White in a scene from "The Bear." (FX via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in "The Crown." (Alex Bailey/Netflix via AP)

This image released by FX shows Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Cosmo Jarvis, left, and Nestor Carbonell in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Jon Hamm in a scene from "Fargo." (Michelle Faye/FX via AP)

This image released by Apple TV+ shows Jon Hamm in a scene from "The Morning Show." (Apple TV+ via AP)

This image released by Netflix shows Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, Princess of Wales, in a scene from "The Crown." (Keith Bernstein/Netflix via AP)

This image released by HBO shows Kali Reis, right, and Jodie Foster in a scene from "True Detective: Night Country." (HBO via AP)

This image released by FX shows Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu in a scene from "The Bear." (FX via AP)

This image released by FX shows Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga, center, in a scene from "Shogun." (Katie Yu/FX via AP)

FILE - A view of the stage at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Sept. 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)