The president’s son was indicted last week on gun charges.
September 19, 2023, 5:59 p.m.
Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, is expected to plead not guilty when he goes to trial on federal gun-related charges, his lawyer wrote in court papers filed Tuesday.
It’s the first official indication of the younger Biden’s plans to fight the charges against him following his indictment last week, although his lawyer has publicly suggested he will fight the charges.
The president’s only living son was indicted last Thursday by special prosecutor David Weiss for lying on a federal form when he said he was drug-free when he bought a Colt revolver in October 2018 .
Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, previously suggested they would push back on gun-related charges, telling ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in an interview on “Good Morning America” last week that “on the facts, we think we’re going to have a defense.”
Lowell filed court papers Tuesday seeking to have his client’s initial appearance in a Delaware court take place by video conference rather than in person, to limit what he called “the financial impact on government resources and the logistical burden of downtown Wilmington.”
“Whether in person or virtually…Mr. Biden will also plead not guilty, and there is no reason why he cannot say those two words via video conference,” Lowell wrote.
Noting that virtual court appearances have become commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lowell argued in his filing that “neither Mr. Biden nor the Government would be harmed by an initial appearance conducted by videoconference.”
Hunter Biden leaves after a court appearance, July 26, 2023, in Wilmington, Del.
Julio Cortez/AP, FILE
Prosecutors objected to a virtual arraignment, according to an order issued Monday by a magistrate judge.
Lowell called the government’s position “confusing because Mr. Biden is not seeking special treatment with this request, as individuals without the additional considerations described here routinely make such video appearances.”
After a plea deal between federal prosecutors and Hunter Biden collapsed in July following a five-year investigation, prosecutors said in court papers last month that they also intended to bring misdemeanor tax charges against Hunter Biden in California and Washington, DC.
USA News Gb1