Current:Home > reviewsHunter Biden seeks delay in federal tax trial set to begin in Los Angeles next month-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Hunter Biden seeks delay in federal tax trial set to begin in Los Angeles next month
lotradecoin market View Date:2024-12-26 05:22:37
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hunter Biden ’s lawyers will press a judge Wednesday to delay his trial that’s set to begin next month in Los Angeles on charges that he schemed to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes.
The president’s son is seeking to push the June 20 trial date back until at least September, noting that he is also scheduled to stand trial in Delaware beginning June 3 on federal firearms charges. He has pleaded not guilty to both indictments brought by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, which he has claimed are politically motivated.
His attorneys say they cannot adequately prepare for both trials at the same time, and have sought delays — and dismissals — in both cases. If Judge Mark C. Scarsi denies his bid to delay the California case, Hunter Biden could be headed to trial in two federal cases on opposite coasts next month as President Joe Biden campaigns for reelection.
Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, will hear arguments on the request, which prosecutors are opposing. The defense is also seeking to block both prosecutions from moving forward by arguing the special counsel’s funding was not appropriately approved by Congress.
In pressing for the delay, Hunter Biden’s lawyers noted the “uniquely challenging and high-profile nature of this case” as well as “the fact Mr. Biden and the same counsel will be starting trial in Delaware just two and a half weeks before this trial is set to begin.”
Prosecutors say the heightened press coverage does not impact the defense’s preparation for trial in any way, describing it as a “straightforward tax case.”
“He is not above the rule of law and should be treated like any other defendant,” the special counsel’s team wrote in a recent court filing.
The indictment alleges that Biden failed to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years while living an “extravagant lifestyle” during a period in which he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. The back taxes have since been paid.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week rejected a defense bid to dismiss the case. The appeals court didn’t rule on the merits of his claims, but said the issues can’t be appealed at this time.
In the gun case, prosecutors allege that Biden lied about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a firearm that he kept for about 11 days in Delaware. He has acknowledged an addiction to crack cocaine during that period, but his lawyers have said he didn’t break the law.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers had urged the judge last week to push that trial to September, saying they needed time to line up witnesses and sort through evidence. But U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika in Delaware denied that request, saying she believes “everyone can get done what needs to get done” by June 3.
The long-running federal investigation into the president’s son had looked ready to wrap up with a plea deal last year, but the agreement imploded after a judge raised questions about it. Hunter Biden was subsequently indicted.
Under the deal, he would have gotten two years’ probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges. He also would have avoided prosecution on the gun charge if he stayed out of trouble.
His attorneys have argued that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict him amid heavy criticism of the plea deal from Donald Trump and other Republicans.
___
Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington contributed to this report.
veryGood! (8151)
Related
- Gena Rowlands, acting powerhouse and star of movies by her director-husband, John Cassavetes, dies
- Why Dolly Parton Is Defending the CMAs After Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Snub
- Inside the Brooklyn federal jail where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is locked up: violence, squalor and death
- Bowl projections: Tennessee joins College Football Playoff field, Kansas State moves up
- Las Vegas police could boycott working NFL games over new facial ID policy
- Xandra Pohl Fuels Danny Amendola Dating Rumors at Dancing With the Stars Taping
- US nuclear repository is among the federally owned spots identified for renewable energy projects
- Dancing With the Stars' Jenn Tran Shares How She's Leaning on Jonathan Johnson After Breakup
- Walmart boosts its outlook for 2024 with bargains proving a powerful lure for the inflation weary
- Fed rate cuts are coming. But will they be big or small? It's a gamble
Ranking
- Justice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families
- Police seek a pair who took an NYC subway train on a joyride and crashed it
- Into the Fire’s Cathy Terkanian Denies Speculation Vanessa Bowman Is Actually Aundria Bowman’s Daughter
- How much do you tip? If you live in these states, your answer may be lower.
- US Army intelligence analyst pleads guilty to selling military secrets to China
- Gilmore Girls’ Lauren Graham Reunites With Kelly Bishop—And It's Not Even Friday Night
- Good American Blowout Deals: Khloe Kardashian-Approved Styles Up to 78% Off With $22 Dresses
- 3 dead in wrong-way crash on busy suburban Detroit highway
Recommendation
-
Millions of kids are still skipping school. Could the answer be recess — and a little cash?
-
John Thune is striving to be the next Republican Senate leader, but can he rise in Trump’s GOP?
-
Jealousy, fear, respect: How Caitlin Clark's been treated by WNBA players is complicated
-
Couple rescued by restaurant staff after driving into water at South Carolina marina
-
Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigns after federal bribery charge
-
Chris Hemsworth Can Thank His 3 Kids For Making Him to Join Transformers Universe
-
Marvel's 'Agatha All Along' is coming: Release date, cast, how to watch
-
Could Panthers draft another QB after benching Bryce Young? Ranking top options in 2025