A disciplinary office in Washington, D.C., is seeking the suspension of Hunter Biden’s law license after he was convicted last week on federal weapons charges.
The Office of the Disciplinary Counsel, which serves as a prosecutor in disciplinary cases for members of the D.C. bar, sent a letter to the D.C. Court of Appeals on Monday proposing Biden’s suspension, citing the rules for the suspension of lawyers after a criminal conviction. .
The proposed text for the order urged the appeals court to rule that the president’s son is “immediately suspended from the practice of law in the District of Columbia pending resolution of this matter,” after a jury in Delaware had found him guilty of three gun crimes.
The proposed order, which notes that Biden has been a member of the D.C. bar since 2007, would also direct the Council on Professional Responsibility to “establish a formal proceeding to determine the nature of the offense and whether moral turpitude exists .”
Under the rules of the DC Bar, any misdemeanor is considered a “serious offence” and the court is responsible for issuing an order for “immediate suspension of the attorney” regardless of any pending appeal, while the board initiates any disciplinary proceedings. has the discretionary power to waive a suspension “when it appears to be in the interests of justice”.
Abbe Lowell, Biden’s attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.
Biden, who pleaded not guilty in the case, was convicted on all three charges related to possessing a gun he bought in 2018 while using narcotics.
Two of the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The third charge carries a maximum sentence of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
Biden has also pleaded not guilty to tax charges in a trial now set to begin on September 5.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
