A federal appeals court has rejected Hunter Biden’s effort to throw out gun charges against him, paving the way for a trial to begin next month.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday dismissed an effort by the president’s son to have his felony gun case in Delaware thrown out, rejecting his challenge to the charges on procedural grounds.
The three-judge panel said in its short ruling — just four pages total — that it did not consider the merits of Biden’s challenge at this stage, instead saying it was the improper time for them to take up such an appeal.
The ruling paves the way for Biden to stand trial in the case, which is set to begin on June 3, according to an order issued Thursday by Maryellen Norieka, the district judge overseeing his case.
Biden will next be scheduled to appear in court on May 24 for a pretrial conference.
He owned the firearm for 11 days and never fired it, his attorneys have said.
Biden was indicted by special counsel David Weiss last September.
A previous attempt to have the charges dismissed in April also failed.
Hunter Biden’s attempt to have the gun charges against him dismissed by a federal appeals court was denied, opening the door for his trial to start next month.
The president’s son attempted to have his felony gun case in Delaware thrown out on Thursday, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his procedural challenge to the charges.
In a concise four-page ruling, the three-judge panel stated that it was not the appropriate time for them to take up this kind of appeal and did not address the merits of Biden’s challenge at this time.
According to an order issued on Thursday by Maryellen Norieka, the district judge supervising Biden’s case, the ruling clears the way for Biden to go on trial in the matter. The trial is scheduled to start on June 3.
Biden’s next scheduled court appearance is for a pretrial conference on May 24.
A year later, in his memoir “Beautiful Things,” Biden acknowledged that he was addicted to drugs. However, prosecutors claim that he lied on a federal form about his drug use when he obtained a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018. His attorneys claim that during the 11 days he owned the gun, he never fired it.
September of last year saw the indictment of Biden by special counsel David Weiss.
An earlier effort to have the charges dropped in April was also unsuccessful.
