FILE – President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden arrives for a court appearance, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Wilmington, Del. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday, Aug. 11, he has appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president’s son ahead of the 2024 election. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) Julio Cortez/AP

Hunter Biden doesn’t want to show up in person for felony gun arraignment

Kaelan Deese September 18, 05:36 PM September 18, 05:36 PM Video Embed

President Joe Biden‘s son Hunter Biden doesn’t want to head back home to Delaware for a hearing over his felony gun charges, according to a judge slated to preside over his arraignment.

“Defendant seeks to have the initial appearance on the Indictment in this matter held via video conference,” U.S. District Judge Christopher Burke wrote in a docket entry Monday, noting the “Government opposes that request.”

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As a result of the disagreement, Burke issued an oral order Monday directing the younger Biden’s attorneys to deliver a response by Tuesday as to why he should be allowed to appear virtually for his arraignment for three felony gun charges.

Prosecutors were ordered to file their response no later than Wednesday, indicating Burke’s decision over the matter could come as soon as this week.

Although Burke is presiding over the arraignment, the case is being handled by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, the same judge who blew up the proposed plea agreement between the first son and U.S. Attorney David Weiss in late July after the parties were not aligned on the terms of the deal.

Constitutional attorney Andrew Lieb of Lieb at Law told the Washington Examiner it was unsurprising the younger Biden would make such a request because he presently resides in California.

“The judge is saying, ‘Write papers and I’ll make a decision.’ The judge may say they have to come in,” Lieb said, adding Burke may choose the inverse.

The filing comes as Hunter Biden may face additional indictments in Washington, D.C., or California, as prosecutors have indicated that additional charges over his lapsed tax payments from 2017 and 2018 may resurface again.

Biden’s son was initially slated to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges in exchange for receiving a pretrial diversion agreement on a felony gun charge, but that deal fell apart when his attorneys admitted in court their belief that the deal would preclude him from facing future charges stemming from a five-year investigation, leading to a point of disagreement among prosecutors.

The younger Biden became the first son of a sitting president to face federal felony charges last week.

Earlier this year, Donald Trump became the first former president to face federal criminal charges as he prepares to fight two federal and two state cases ahead of the 2024 election.

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Trump has appeared for three of four arraignments. He was required to for ones in New York and Miami and did not request a virtual appearance in Washington, D.C., where appearances via video are permitted. Fulton County, Georgia, is the only jurisdiction where Trump is charged in which waived arraignments are common.

The Washington Examiner contacted an attorney for Hunter Biden.

© 2023 Washington Examiner

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