Beau Biden defends handling of du Pont heir sex case
The child sexual abuse case against a du Pont family heir who raped his young daughter was weak, and prosecutors offered an appropriate plea bargain that spared him prison while convicting him of a felony sex crime, Attorney General Beau Biden said Thursday.
"This was not a strong case, and a loss at trial was a distinct possibility," Biden wrote in a letter submitted to The News Journal.
Biden also defended Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden, who noted in her sentencing order that the wealthy father "will not fare well" in prison. Biden said the judge "exercised sound discretion based solely on the merits of the case before her" and doesn't allow a defendant's "wealth or social status" to influence her decisions.
Jurden has been criticized and has been the subject of threats because she gave Robert H. Richards IV probation after he admitted to fourth-degree rape of his daughter. Jurden's 2009 ruling followed recommendations from Biden's office. Much of the ire against Jurden stems from her notation in her sentencing order about Richards' fitness for prison, which she listed as a mitigating factor.
She also noted as mitigating factors impacting the sentence that Richards "has significant treatment needs that must be met" and has "strong family support."
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