First son Hunter Biden’s Los Angeles trial on federal tax charges has been pushed back to Sept. 5 — after the case judge made his defense team promise to not seek further postponement.
The order issued by US District Judge Mark Scarsi means the 54-year-old will be in the dock while his father, President Biden, faces off in the second of two confirmed debates against former President Donald Trump.
The Biden legal team, led by high-powered DC attorney Abbe Lowell, had asked the trial be moved due to conflicts with an unrelated gun case against the first son out of Delaware, which is slated to go to trial beginning June 3.
The defense team complained that they could not adequately prepare for both trials at the same time, citing the “uniquely challenging and high-profile nature” of the prosecution.
Prosecutors led by special counsel David Weiss opposed the request to push the trial back, saying the heightened media coverage should not impact the defense’s preparation for what they described as 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.
The presidential offspring faces six misdemeanor and three felony counts after allegedly skipping out on $1.4 million in federal income taxes for the years 2016 through 2019.
In lieu of paying Uncle Sam, the feds say Hunter splashed out on an “extravagant” lifestyle — including “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,” which have since been paid off.
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, according to CNN.
Scarsi agreed with Lowell that “the needs of a defendant outweigh the prejudice in moving” the trial, but added that “in this court, we like to set schedules and keep them.”
In the Delaware case, Hunter Biden faces three weapons charges connected to allegations he illegally owned a gun while addicted to crack cocaine.
The first son has pleaded not guilty to all counts and denied wrongdoing.
With Post wires
