Hunter Biden is seeking to postpone his tax evasion trial in California due to scheduling conflicts with his federal gun case.
In court documents filed Thursday, Joe Biden's son requested that the start of his tax evasion trial, originally set for June 20, be moved to September 5. His legal team argued that preparing for the tax trial would be “exceedingly difficult” since he is also scheduled for trial in Delaware on June 3 to face charges of allegedly possessing a firearm while using drugs. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
This request mirrors a similar tactic used by President Trump, who sought to delay his federal classified documents case until after the 2024 election, citing scheduling conflicts with Special Counsel Jack Smith's other investigation into Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election ‘results.’
If Hunter Biden's request to delay the tax evasion trial is granted, the new date of September 5 would be just days before the second live televised debate between Trump and Biden, scheduled for September 10 on ABC. Conversely, if the trial proceeds as planned, it would occur a week before the first live televised debate between the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees on CNN, set for June 27.
The latest filing from Hunter Biden's lawyers follows U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika's decision to deny a request to delay the Delaware gun case to September. Judge Noreika expressed confidence that preparations could be completed by the trial's start date of June 3.
In their motion to postpone the California trial, Hunter Biden's attorneys cited the need for additional time due to the overlapping Delaware trial timeline. They emphasized the difficulty of preparing for two bi-coastal criminal trials simultaneously, highlighting the uniquely challenging, high-profile, and ‘politically charged’ nature of the cases.
“Besides the clear prejudice of having to prepare for two bi-coastal criminal trials at one time, counsel has encountered unexpected and unique difficulties which make it impossible to meet current deadlines, especially given the uniquely challenging, high-profile and politically charged nature of this case,” Hunter Biden's legal team stated. They also noted the difficulty in securing qualified expert witnesses to address the complex tax issues involved, which has further hindered their ability to provide effective counsel.
Hunter’s lawyers have argued that denying their request to delay his tax evasion trial would deprive them of “the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation and representation.”
In court filings, Biden's lead counsel highlighted a personal conflict, noting his desire to attend the funeral of a “decades-long, dear friend” in Washington, D.C., on May 29, the same day as a pretrial conference. The lead counsel emphasized that the funeral, combined with the substantial filings, preparation, and travel required for the Delaware trial, would make it exceedingly difficult for him to attend the pretrial conference in person, even if he chose not to attend the funeral.
The filings stated, “Given all of the associated filings, preparation, and travel involved for the Delaware trial, much of which overlap with the current pretrial deadlines in this matter, it will be exceedingly difficult (even if he does not attend his friend's funeral) for Mr. Biden's lead trial counsel to appear in person on May 29, 2024, to argue for a trial continuance.”
Read the filing here.
