President Biden has no plans of pardoning son Hunter Biden, White House says
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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden does not plan to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted on federal gun charges, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated during a press briefing on Thursday.
Hunter Biden is scheduled to be sentenced next month on the gun charges as well as federal tax-related charges in a separate case.
When asked Thursday whether the president has any intention of pardoning his son, Jean-Pierre responded, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”
Jean-Pierre said she didn’t have comment on pardons the president intends to make at the end of his term, including any administration officials or people threatened by President-elect Donald Trump with legal action.
“I know pardons is going to be a big part of the questions that I get here over the next several weeks and a couple of months that we have,” she said. “I don’t have anything to share or any thought process on pardons. Once we have something to share, we certainly will share with that.”
No son of a sitting president has faced a criminal trial before.
President Biden told ABC News anchor David Muir during an interview in June amid the Delaware trial in the gun case that he would not pardon his son.
Hunter Biden was ultimately found guilty that month on three felony counts related to his purchase of a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12.
In a separate case, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to nine federal tax-related charges in Los Angeles, where he is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16.
(NEW YORK) — A 32-year-old suspect who has evaded authorities for nearly three weeks following the alleged hit-and-run death of a skateboarding 7-year-old boy has been arrested, according to authorities.
Donald Mynatt, 32, has been wanted by the Cleveland Division of Police for leaving the scene of an accident that caused the death of the child. On Aug. 16, 7-year-old Amir Prewitt was riding his skateboard in a parking lot in the area of 16000 Lakeshore Blvd. on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, and was allegedly hit and dragged under the suspect’s vehicle before the driver fled the scene, according to a statement from the U.S. Marshals issued on Wednesday.
The young boy was immediately taken to the hospital but later died from the injuries suffered in the hit and run incident, authorities said.
“Cleveland Police Homicide Detectives were able to identify the vehicle, a Mercedes SUV, from the incident and located it a day later, abandoned,” said the U.S. Marshals. “On August 28 Detectives issued a warrant for Donald Mynatt for leaving the scene of an accident that caused the death of the child. Members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force began looking for Mynatt immediately.”
After nearly three weeks of police evasion, the task force located Mynatt early Wednesday morning in an apartment building in the 4800 block of East 355th St. in Willoughby, Ohio.
“Mynatt was arrested there without incident and transported to Cleveland Police,” officials said.
“I am grateful for the collaborative efforts of our members and the United States Marshals Service in making this arrest. The loss of Amir has impacted our community and the Division of Police. Our teams have worked tirelessly investigating and following all leads to bring closure for Amir’s family. We ask the community to keep his family in your prayers,” said Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd.
“Members of our task force work meticulously to find and arrest this suspect, it was clear he knew he was wanted and was doing everything he could to evade arrest. This suspect had no regard for this child’s life, and we hope this arrest will let the family begin to grieve and the justice system to begin to work for Amir,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott added.
The investigation into Prewitt’s death is currently ongoing.
(NASSAU, Bahamas) Search efforts are underway for a 66-year-old woman who fell overboard on a Taylor Swift-themed cruise Tuesday night, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The missing passenger fell off the Royal Caribbean ship Allure of the Season about 17 miles north of Nassau, Bahamas, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard is assisting with the search, which is being led by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
The four-night Swift-themed voyage, known as “In My Cruise Era,” set sail from Miami for the Bahamas on Monday. It was not officially affiliated with Swift.
About 400 people registered for the cruise, which was scheduled to include karaoke, a dance party and friendship bracelet trading.
In a statement from the cruise company, Royal Caribbean said it initiated search efforts as soon as the woman fell overboard.
“Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort and is working with local authorities We are also providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said.
(NEW YORK) — A Minnesota man faces multiple charges for allegedly driving while intoxicated and crashing his vehicle into a restaurant patio, killing two people and injuring nine others, officials said Tuesday.
Steven Frane Bailey, 56, was charged Tuesday with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide for intoxication and negligence, as well as nine counts of criminal vehicular operation for the injured victims, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
The incident occurred Sunday evening when authorities say a man drove into the patio area of the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park around 8 p.m. local time.
“According to the criminal complaint, Bailey was observed on surveillance video pulling into the Park Tavern parking lot Sunday, driving past an open parking spot, hitting a parked car when he tried to back into that spot, pulling out and then accelerating toward the patio,” the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a press release. “He plowed through the metal fence into the patio seating area and hit several people.”
Several people seated or walking in the patio area were struck, according to the complaint, which alleged that Bailey continued to accelerate, reaching speeds of 30 to 45 mph, before finally coming to an “abrupt and violent halt” upon hitting several boulders at the base of a hill.
Officers who approached Bailey’s vehicle allegedly heard him on the phone saying, “I hit the gas instead of the brake and went right through a thing” and “I’m probably going to jail,” according to the complaint.
Bailey’s speech was slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot and watery, according to the complaint. He was unsteady on his feet upon exiting the vehicle, and when told by officers that they were going to perform field sobriety tests, he allegedly responded, “You don’t need to do fields. I know what I did,” the complaint stated.
He was transported to a hospital, where a preliminary breath sample showed a BAC of .325, according to the complaint. Results of a blood kit test were pending as of Tuesday, the complaint stated.
Bailey was booked into the Hennepin County Jail following a medical evaluation. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
“Bailey could have simply decided to stay home or take a Lyft rather than driving while intoxicated,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. “This tragedy killed two people and injured several others, and it was entirely avoidable. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those killed, everyone injured, and the entire close-knit St. Louis Park community as they grieve this devastating incident.”
The attorney’s office identified the victims killed in the crash as Kristina Folkerts, a mother of three who worked at the restaurant, and Gabe Harvey, who was celebrating with several co-workers from Methodist Hospital at the time.
Folkerts was pinned under the vehicle and died at the scene despite life-saving efforts after officers lifted the vehicle off of her, prosecutors said. Harvey was transferred to a local hospital, where he died, prosecutors said.
One of the victims is currently unconscious and intubated at a hospital after sustaining broken legs, a broken pelvis, broken ribs and dislocated knees, according to the complaint.
Other victims suffered injuries, including head trauma, “serious” road rash and bruises, according to the complaint.
A memorial to the victims has been set up outside the Park Tavern, which is scheduled to reopen Wednesday in the wake of the crash.
The St. Louis Park Police Department believes more people were injured in the crash, and the number of charges against Bailey could increase if additional victims come forward, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.
Bailey has two prior DWI convictions, including for gross misdemeanor third-degree DWI in 2015 and misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI in 2014, according to the attorney’s office.
