By The opinion
May 22, 2024, 7:46 PM EDT
A federal judge in Los Angeles agreed Wednesday postpone Hunter Biden’s federal criminal trial on tax evasion charges until September.
The case was originally scheduled to go to trial on June 20, but Biden’s legal team asked the court for a delay.
In court papers, his attorneys argued that a series of scheduling conflicts and pending appeals would overlap with his criminal case in Delaware, where he faces three felony weapons charges and is expected to go to trial June 3.
Biden’s lawyer also argued that difficulties in obtaining expert witnesses justified a delay during Wednesday’s hearing.
Prosecutor Leo Wise rejected their claims, saying: “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
A federal indictment last year against Hunter Biden alleges that he failed to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes between 2016 and 2019.
In December, he was charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors related to his alleged failure to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing a false or fraudulent tax return. Three of the charges are felonies and six are misdemeanors.
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
He also pleaded not guilty to a separate three-count federal indictment in Delaware that alleges he made false statements in 2018 when completing paperwork to purchase a gun.
That case is scheduled to go to trial in a few weeksprovided Hunter Biden does not reach a deal with prosecutors before then.
Hunter Biden has spoken publicly about his struggle with drug addiction and attributed at least part of the alleged behavior of which he is accused to a drug-fueled spiral after his brother died of brain cancer in 2015.
Keep reading:
• Hunter Biden’s ex-wife could be called to testify in his gun possession trial
• Hunter Biden asked the judge assigned to his case to delay his trial for tax evasion
• Court rejects Hunter Biden’s appeal on weapons charges and clears the way for trial in June