Hunter Biden’s criminal tax trial has been postponed from June to September following a ruling by the federal judge presiding over the case. United States District Court Judge Mark Scarsi, of the Central District of California, granted the request from Biden’s attorneys to delay the trial during a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday.
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is facing three felony and six misdemeanor charges related to $1.4 million in unpaid taxes, which have since been settled. The charges stem from an investigation led by Special Counsel David Weiss, who alleges that Biden engaged in a “four-year scheme” from January 2017 to October 2020, during which he failed to pay his federal income taxes and filed false tax reports.
The trial was initially set to begin on June 20. However, Judge Scarsi has rescheduled it, with jury selection now slated to start on September 5. Federal prosecutors had opposed the delay, arguing that no defendant should receive a continuance for what they described as a “jurisdictionless appeal.” They contended that Biden’s defense team had previously agreed to the June 20 trial date and that the reasons provided for the delay were insufficient.
Meanwhile, Hunter Biden is also set to stand trial on federal gun charges in Delaware beginning on June 3. These charges include making a false statement while purchasing a firearm, providing false information required by a licensed firearm dealer, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. Biden has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
The outcome of these legal proceedings will be closely watched as they involve the son of the sitting U.S. president, adding a layer of political scrutiny to the judicial process.
