A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected Hunter Biden's bid to have his felony gun charges dismissed, clearing the way for the first son to face a criminal trial in the case next month.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals sided with special counsel David Weiss, who argued that the court did not have the jurisdiction to review Biden’s appeal prior to the trial.
"This appeal is dismissed because the defendant has not shown the District Court’s orders are appealable before final judgment," a three-judge appellate panel wrote.
The trial is scheduled to begin on June 3 in Delaware. Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which center around his purchase of a gun in 2018, during which time he was using illegal drugs.
The ruling marks another legal setback for the first son. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected motions by Biden’s legal team to dismiss the case last month.
Noreika also presided over the collapse of Biden’s plea deal last June, which would have allowed him to avoid the federal gun charges in exchange for pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax crimes.