The trial of the son of the American president, Hunter Biden, for illegal possession of a weapon, will begin on June 3, announced a federal judge in Delaware, a state on the east coast of the country. Joe Biden's son pleaded not guilty in this case in October.
Hunter Biden is accused of lying when filling out forms to acquire a firearm in 2018, in which he denied the drug addiction he later admitted to. If convicted, he faces up to twenty-five years in prison, but in practice such prosecutions alone rarely result in prison time.
Judge Maryellen Noreika assigned the weeks of June 3 and 10 for jury selection, with the trial schedule to be set later after consultation with both parties.
Privileged target of the Republicans
President Biden's son also pleaded not guilty in January to tax fraud in federal court in California, where he resides. The next hearing in the case has been set for March 27, and the judge is aiming for a June 20 start to the trial.
Hunter Biden, 54, is one of the favorite targets of his father's Republican opponents, starting with his predecessor Donald Trump, who consider him the Democratic president's Achilles heel. Lawyer then businessman, Hunter Biden converted to painting after recovering from drug and alcohol addictions.
