First Kid Hunter Biden was back in a Delaware courtroom on Tuesday to face the felony charges against him after his previous sweetheart deal with federal prosecutors imploded.
Pleading "not guilty" to the three counts against him — as expected — for lying about his addiction to and use of illegal drugs to purchase a firearm and then subsequently possessing a firearm while addicted to and using drugs, the federal case against Hunter Biden is now moving ahead toward trial.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden pleads not guilty in Delaware to three federal gun charges filed after his plea deal imploded.
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) October 3, 2023
According to the indictment against him, Hunter purchased a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018, a time in which Hunter has admittedly — including in his memoir — admitted he was still addicted to and using illicit drugs such as crack cocaine.
Hunter's in-person court appearance came after his lawyers tried to have the president's son enter his plea via video conference from California, where Hunter has been living. According to the lawyers, Hunter traveling to Delaware and appearing in-person at the courthouse would have been disruptive to the local community and a heavy lift for his security detail.
Ultimately, the judge disagreed with Hunter's request to appear virtually to enter his plea and he had to travel back to the east coast for Tuesday's hearing ten weeks after the chaotic court hearing saw his hopes of being spared from actual punishment for his alleged tax and firearm crimes dissolve.
Hunter Biden arrives at the Boggs Courthouse for his arraignment on gun charges. We expect him to plead not guilty, 10 weeks after plea deal on these and tax charges fell apart pic.twitter.com/kCX8jxevor
— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) October 3, 2023
After turning himself in and entering his plea, Hunter was released again with a handful of conditions similar to those he was released on after the previous court appearance during which his slap-on-the-wrist deal fell apart, such as a prohibition on possessing a firearm or using drugs and alcohol.
This is a developing story and may be updated.