OAN’s James Meyers
3:28 PM – Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Hunter Biden’s tax charges trial in Los Angeles, California, has been pushed back to September 5th after the judge overseeing the case made his defense team promise to not seek further postponement.
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U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi’s order means that Hunter will be on standby while his father, President Joe Biden, will be attending his confirmed debate against former President Donald Trump.
Biden’s California trial was previously scheduled to start on June 20th. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include allegations of failing to file and pay taxes, evading an assessment, and filing a fraudulent form related to illicit drugs while purchasing a firearm.
Abbe Lowell, the D.C. attorney leading Biden’s legal team, requested the trial to be moved due to conflicts with another case. The defense team argued that they would not be able to prepare for both trials at the same time, claiming the “uniquely challenging and high-profile nature” of the prosecution.
However, prosecutors led by special counsel David Weiss argued against the postponement, stating that the media coverage should not impact the defense’s preparation for what they called a “straightforward tax case.”
“He is not above the rule of law and should be treated like any other defendant,” the feds wrote in a recent court filing.
Hunter faces six misdemeanor charges and three felony counts after allegedly skipping out on $1.4 million in federal income taxes, stemming from the years of 2016 through 2019.
Additionally, the feds noted that Hunter was enjoying an “extravagant“ lifestyle, which included a world of “drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes.”
During Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutor Leo Wise insisted that “the time to try this case is now.”
“There’s a lot of noise around this case, but that doesn’t make it complex,” Wise added, CNN reported.
The president’s first son has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
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