On Tuesday, an appeals court decided not to stop Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial, scheduled to begin in two weeks, which coincides with his father’s reelection campaign.
The full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Hunter Biden’s request to delay the case while he continues to challenge the prosecution on multiple fronts. Earlier, a three-judge panel had already rejected his attempt to dismiss the case.
Defense lawyers for the president’s son argued that there was no urgent reason to start the trial on June 3. They also pointed out the short time between the Delaware trial and another trial for tax charges in California, set to begin around the same time.
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to allegations of falsely stating his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he briefly kept in Delaware for about 11 days.
Hunter Biden (Via Joe Kimmich/Getty Images)
Although he admitted to struggling with crack cocaine addiction during that time, his legal team contends that he did not break any laws.
In addition to the trial preparations, defense attorneys are appealing another decision from U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who rejected an argument that the case violates the Second Amendment of the Constitution regarding firearm ownership.
Last year, a potential plea deal seemed likely to resolve the investigation, but it fell through after a judge raised concerns. Subsequently, Hunter Biden was indicted by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss in Delaware and California.
The California charges accuse him of failing to pay over $1.4 million in taxes over three years while living a lavish lifestyle during his period of drug use. He is separately contesting court rulings that declined his motions to dismiss those charges.
