Hunter Biden has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke to appear in person at his October 3rd arraignment for three felony gun charges. The court order, issued on Wednesday, states that Joe Biden’s eldest son “should not receive special treatment”. His lawyers had requested a video appearance, citing the financial impact on government resources and the logistical burden of traveling to Delaware.
The request for a virtual appearance was opposed by Special Counsel David Weiss, who argued an in-person hearing is important to maintain public confidence. Weiss said the court has mostly held in-person appearances to treat defendants consistently since the expiration of an order authorizing video teleconferencing due to COVID-19 in June 2022.
Regardless of his mode of appearance, Hunter intends to waive the reading of the indictment and plead not guilty to the charges.
He has been indicted on three felony counts related to the purchase of a firearm in October 2018 while he was a drug abuser. He is alleged to have knowingly made false statements on his firearms purchase form, to have falsely represented himself to the firearms dealer, and to have possessed a firearm despite being an illegal drug abuser.
