A judge in Delaware has rejected Hunter Biden’s attempts to dismiss three federal gun charges, which means that a trial will likely proceed this summer.
In December, Hunter Biden’s attorneys launched a series of challenges against an indictment brought by special counsel David Weiss. They questioned Weiss’ authority to file charges and argued that the indictment was the outcome of a biased and retaliatory prosecution.
The defense attorneys also made the argument that an immunity provision connected to Hunter Biden’s unsuccessful plea agreement was still valid.
According to prosecutors, Hunter Biden allegedly provided false information on a federal form regarding his drug use in order to acquire a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018. This comes after his admission in his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” where he confessed to struggling with drug addiction during that period. Although Hunter Biden possessed the firearm for a brief period of eleven days, his legal team claims that he never discharged it.
In January, Weiss’ office strongly contested Hunter Biden’s attempts to dismiss the case, deeming his arguments as “absurd,” “stunningly weak and lacking factual and legal support,” and “a fictional narrative fit for a Hollywood screenplay.”
On Friday, Judge Maryellen Noreika supported the prosecutors’ argument, guaranteeing that the case will proceed to trial. The trial is tentatively scheduled to commence in early June.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys had hoped for the dismissal of their case by relying on the assertion that the immunity provision in their plea deal, which ultimately collapsed, was validated when both parties signed it. However, Weiss’ office countered this argument by stating that the contract necessitated approval from a probation officer, and since the probation officer did not sign it, the immunity provision could not be considered valid.
According to Noreika, it is clear from the language used in the agreement that probation’s approval is a requirement.
Hunter Biden claimed that Weiss had succumbed to political pressure from Republicans and former President Donald Trump, but Noreika strongly criticized this assertion.
Noreika explained that Hunter Biden’s claim that individuals from the previous administration were targeting him or his father, thus making his prosecution vindictive, falls short. He pointed out that the decision to charge Hunter Biden was made during the current administration by Special Counsel Weiss, even though the head of the Executive Branch prosecuting him is his own father.
Noreika wrote in her ruling that the defendant’s assertion that his father singled him out because he was his son is illogical given the circumstances of the case.
Hunter Biden has faced yet another legal setback as a federal judge in California recently blocked similar challenges to a nine-count indictment on tax charges. This ruling comes just weeks before the Delaware gun case is set to go to trial.