A US federal appeals court rejected an attempt by Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, to dismiss criminal charges related to the purchase and possession of a gun. The trial was then scheduled for June 3.
This will be the first trial of a son of a sitting president in the United States.
A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia ruled that Hunter Biden cannot appeal the case because the lower court has not yet issued a final ruling.
Shortly after the ruling, Judge Maryellen Noreika ordered the trial to begin on June 3 in Wilmington, Delaware.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden's lawyer, pointed out that “in reviewing the panel's decision, we believe that the issues involved are too important and that another analysis of our request is appropriate”.
The defense statement did not specify whether Hunter Biden will ask the full Philadelphia appeals court to review the panel's decision.
Understand the case
Biden was appealing orders issued by Judge Noreika last month.
She denied requests to dismiss two charges against the president's son, accusing him of lying about using illegal narcotics when he purchased a Colt Cobra pistol in 2018; and another count of illegal possession of that weapon.
Hunter Biden's legal team argued that the lower court had to wait for the federal appeals court's ruling before moving forward with the trial.
Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison on gun charges.
The trial will be held at a time when Joe Biden intensifies his re-election campaign.
Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York on criminal charges of illegally covering up a $130,000 payment to a porn star to keep her silent before the 2016 election.
Hunter Biden also faces criminal tax charges in California.
Source: CNN Brasil
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