A federal judge on Wednesday announced that Hunter Biden, son of the president, is slated to stand trial for federal firearms charges starting June 3. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika set the trial date during a telephonic hearing, although she is currently reviewing several defense motions seeking to dismiss the case against Biden.
Biden has entered a plea of not guilty to allegations of falsifying information regarding his drug use on a firearms purchase form in October 2018, a violation of federal law. While acknowledging his past struggles with substance abuse, including crack cocaine, Biden’s legal team asserts that he did not violate the law and argues that another nonviolent, first-time offender would not have faced charges.
The case against Biden emerged following the collapse of a plea deal in July 2023, which was intended to resolve the matter outside of a trial but was derailed when a judge declined to approve it, raising further inquiries. Biden’s attorneys have contended that prosecutors succumbed to political pressure following public criticism of the plea deal, including from former President Trump, characterizing it as a “sweetheart deal.”
Prosecutors maintain that the case is not politically motivated and assert that the evidence against Biden is substantial. They argue that the immunity provisions of the initial deal are no longer applicable following its dissolution.
Biden’s legal team also urged Judge Noreika to provide a definitive ruling on the immunity provisions, although Noreika indicated that she has yet to reach a decision on the pending motions to dismiss. The trial is expected to span three to five days, with both the defense and prosecution presenting their respective cases to a jury.
