Washington

Hunter Biden's bid to postpone his gun charges trial on June 3 was rejected on Tuesday (May 14). His legal team argued they needed more time to prepare, but the judge denied it.

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Hunter Biden’s lawyer Abbe Lowell pushed to postpone the trial to September, stating that the defence team has struggled to find expert witnesses who would be willing to help Hunter Biden, mainly regarding issues related to drug addiction and drug forensics.

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“We have not been delaying, we have not been late,” Lowell said in his opening remarks to Judge Maryellen Noreika. “We have been trying our best.”

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Lowell further told Noreika they had found three people who had tentatively agreed to appear as expert witnesses, but the retention agreements are yet to be finalised.

“People are hesitant to get involved in this case,” he added, citing the noise surrounding his high-profile client.

Hunter Biden is charged with three felonies related to a 2018 gun purchase. The charges allege he was in possession of a firearm while using illegal drugs and that he lied on a background check form.

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Judge Maryellen Noreika, an appointee of Donald Trump, refused to delay the case, noting that the indictment came down eight months ago and that the lawyers knew the investigation was underway long before that. 

After she announced that the trial would proceed as scheduled, Lowell made one last attempt to get her to postpone it until the first week of July.

“I am pleading with your honour to give me the time to do this,” he said.

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Noreika didn’t agree. Throughout the hearing, she expressed irritation with the defence team, at one point telling Lowell, “I do not need to be your scheduling secretary.”

Hunter Biden is facing criminal charges on two separate fronts. In Delaware, he is charged with felonies related to a 2018 gun purchase, while in California, he is facing charges related to his taxes. Both cases stem from a years-long investigation led by special counsel David Weiss.

Biden's legal team has challenged both indictments but has been unsuccessful in getting them dismissed by the presiding judges, Noreika in California and Judge Mark Scarsi in Delaware. 

Also read: Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to federal tax charges

Derek Hines, a prosecutor handling the gun case, suggested to the judge that Lowell and his firm should have ample resources to competently represent their client — and that the special counsel’s staff isn’t as formidable as Lowell implied.

(With inputs from agencies)