Wow! Brave MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos is at it again, speaking uncomfortable truths on the liberal network.
Back in 2019, we noted Cevallos saying that Roe was ripe to be overturned because "the right to privacy does not exist." His truthful take undoubtedly caused much gnashing of teeth at MSNBC and across the liberal media.
On today's Morning Joe, Cevallos described the sweet plea deal federal prosecutors have offered Hunter Biden on gun charges as "a gift from heaven."
One is reminded of Mae West's famous retort when someone said to her, "goodness, where did you get those beautiful diamonds?" Said Mae, "goodness had nothing to do with it." In Hunter's case, heaven had nothing to do with him getting this sweetheart deal.
As Cevallos explained, it was "amazing" that Hunter was offered pre-trial diversion, an arrangement he described as good as going to trial and being found not guilty. In pre-trial diversion, the defendant must stay out of trouble, perhaps go into counseling, then return to court after, typically, six months, and the judge expunges the matter from the record. To quote from Servpro ads: "like it never happened."
Cevallos said that to the best of his knowledge, pre-trial diversion is never offered in federal court in gun cases. He challenged anyone doubting him to produce statistics showing the percentage of defendants charged under the same statute as Hunter who have been granted pre-trial diversion.
Any takers out there in liberal land?
Note: To his credit, Willie Geist, hosting today's Morning Joe, took Cevallos' rebuke of the liberal line on Hunter's plea deal in good stride, thanking him for a "great job."
On Morning Joe, MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos saying the plea deal of pre-trial diversion that federal prosecutors have offered Hunter Biden on gun charges was "amazing," and "a gift from heaven," was sponsored in part by Servpro, Skechers, Amazon, Abbvie, maker of Qulipta, and Allstate.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
7/26/23
6:09 am EDTWILLIE GEIST: This morning, meanwhile, Hunter Biden, the president's son, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. He's expected to plead guilty to two federal counts of failing to pay his taxes, a deal that would allow him to avoid prosecution on a gun charge i fhe meets certain conditions. US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by Donald Trump, will consider whether to accept that plea agreement.
So Danny, let's walk our viewers through again, because there's so much swirling around Hunter Biden. What the House is looking is something different, talking about his business dealings overseas, and possible connections to the president, which have not been shown so far. What are we talking about here? Just remind our viewers, exactly.
DANNY CEVALLOS: Much narrower. These are two tax crimes to which he will plead guilty to misdemeanors. And then, in addition, he will enter into a pre-trial diversionary program for gun charges. And what that means, pre-trial diversion, is kind of a one free bite of the apple. You enter into a program. Typically, you're monitored by probation. You have to behave, you go to work, you do everything you are supposed to do. Maybe you go to counseling. Then you come back, usually in six months or however long, and the judge will dismiss the case.It is, ordinarily, as good as a not guilty. There is the rare situation where I will not rush to accept an offer of pre-trial diversion in any case.
The reason it's controversial in this case is this. In state court, pre-trial diversion happens all the time, you see it for DUI cases, low-level drug cases. In federal court, it happens virtually never. I'm not even aware personally of either any of my cases or any of my colleagues cases where pre-trial diversion has ever been offered in the federal system. So, no matter how you cut pre-trial diversion is very rare in federal court.
. . .
GEIST: So obviously, Danny, as you've heard many times, the accusations when we heard about this plea deal from Republicans is that Hunter Biden got off easy, that it's the Biden Justice Department. Again, this is a Trump-appointed federal judge, we should remind our viewers.From your point, cleary-eyed legal view, take politics out of it. Was this a fair deal? Was it a tough deal? Did he get off easy?
CEVALLOS: It was an amazing deal. And frankly, if the government's going to start handing out pre-trial diversion like this, I'm going to get in line. Because it's an amazing deal. Like I said, it gets you, it's just as good as not guilty. You can get your record expunged, at least in state court, depending on the state.
It's as good as if you went to trial and won. So if the government is now in the business of ordinarily handing out pre-trial diversion, then consider my hand raised.
. . .
Look, pre-trial diversion for a gun case in federal court is an amazing deal. I don't care how you slice it. And if you disagree with me, show me the statistics of people charged under that particular statute, the percentages of people who get pre-trial diversion for gun cases.
. . .Look, I understand the argument that this is, this kind of tax case might or might not have been brought. I get that. But I just can't back down from the idea that in a federal court, gun charges, under this particular statute, pre-trial diversion is a gift from heaven.
. . .
GEIST: Danny Cevallos, walking us through it, step by step. Great job as always. Thanks, Danny.
