In a double setback for Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, a judge has denied his motion to dismiss three felony gun charges, while an appeals court has also ruled against him. Judge Maryellen Noreika of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware has set a trial date for June 3, while the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected Hunter’s appeal, which cited precedent related to former government officials claiming immunity from prosecution based on separation-of-powers principles. Despite not being a former government official himself, and Democrats’ eagerness to try former president Donald Trump in state courts, Hunter will stand trial.
Hunter also attempted to have the charge dismissed by arguing that the government was bound to a “diversion agreement” that would have eventually resolved the gun charges. However, U.S. Attorney David Weiss rescinded the deal last summer after whistleblowers exposed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) seeming restraint on investigators in the case. Notably, prosecutors could not cite a single case in which they had agreed to such a generous “diversion agreement” for felony gun charges for anyone else. A probation officer also declined to approve the deal.
Hunter’s insistence of being a victim of “selective and vindictive prosecution” and demands for documents to prove it were ultimately shut down by the judge. He even requested information about grand jurors, usually a closely guarded secret, to expose potential bias. However, the judge dismissed the request, stating, “There will be no such evidentiary hearing.”
Under President Biden’s administration, the DOJ has already charged 1,200 January 6 defendants for various offenses, including trespassing, in Washington D.C., which overwhelmingly voted in favor of Biden. Hunter sought to use the court case to force the production of documents relating to former Trump administration officials, including former Attorney General Bill Barr, but the judge ruled that no evidence was provided to support these requests.
It is worth noting that the DOJ has already disclosed vast amounts of information to Hunter, including “a forensic copy of the devices seized from The Mac Shop” – this confirms the authenticity of the controversial Hunter Biden laptop, even though government officials implied otherwise before the election. Previously, Hunter’s lawyers had threatened to instigate a “Constitutional crisis” by calling President Biden to testify at his son’s trial.
Hunter is charged with lying on federal firearms purchase forms about his drug use, despite struggling with a serious cocaine addiction. His girlfriend eventually disposed of his gun in a dumpster. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Shortly after his gun trial, Hunter is scheduled to face a second trial on nine tax charges in California.
In conclusion, Hunter Biden’s efforts to have his felony gun charges dismissed and appeals rejected have ultimately failed. With the trials set to take place in the coming months, the case is an example of the complexities and controversies surrounding the son of the current president. It remains to be seen how Hunter’s legal team will navigate these challenges, and what the outcomes of these trials could mean for the Biden administration.
