In a major legal development, a federal judge in Delaware refused to dismiss gun charges against Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika in Wilmington rejected Hunter Biden’s request to throw out two charges related to lying about using illegal drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra handgun in 2018. She also upheld a third charge of unlawfully possessing that weapon.
This decision means the trial on the gun charges will go ahead as planned, starting on June 3 in Wilmington. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty.
The charges were brought by Special Counsel David Weiss in September. If convicted, Hunter Biden could be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. He is the first child of a sitting president to face criminal charges.
Hunter Biden (Via Steve Starc/Shutterstock)
Hunter Biden’s lawyers argued to dismiss the gun charges on several grounds, including questioning the constitutionality of the law he’s accused under, after a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that strengthened gun rights and made it harder to restrict firearms.
Hunter Biden also faces charges for federal tax crimes in California, with his trial set to begin on June 20. He’s accused of not paying $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019, while allegedly spending heavily on drugs, escorts, and luxury cars. In April, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi in Los Angeles rejected Hunter Biden’s attempts to dismiss the tax charges.
These legal challenges are making President Biden’s re-election campaign more complicated, shining a spotlight on his family amid political scrutiny.
The outcomes of these trials will shape public opinion and political debate leading up to the next U.S. election.
