Hunter Biden dealt blow in gun case as judge rejects "special treatment"
Wilmington, Delaware - President Joe Biden's son Hunter was ordered Wednesday to appear in a Delaware court on October 3 to face gun charges, after he sought to avoid showing up personally in the case.
Federal judge Christopher Burke rejected Biden's request to appear via video, in which he said he did not want to cause a disruption arriving at the courthouse with his Secret Service escort.
"The defendant should not receive any special treatment in this matter," Burke wrote in his ruling.
Burke though gave Biden an extra week to comply, from the date originally set for the hearing, September 26.
On Tuesday, Biden's attorney informed the court that he would enter a "not guilty" plea to charges of illegally buying a gun when he was using drugs.
Hunter Biden was charged last week with three counts related to making false statements when claiming on forms required for a 2018 gun purchase that he was not using drugs illegally at the time.
He kept the Colt revolver for 11 days before getting rid of it.
In June, a deal with federal prosecutor David Weiss – which would have erased the gun charges while Biden pleaded guilty to two tax charges and avoided prison – fell apart.
That led Weiss to filing three felony gun possession charges against him.
If convicted, Biden could in theory face 25 years in prison, though this type of charges is rarely punished by any jail time.
Cover photo: Nicholas Kamm / AFP