ARKANSAS, USA — An Independence County judge has ordered a two-day bench trial to determine Hunter Biden's continued role in financially supporting a child and his mother, whom Biden allegedly had a relationship with.
The original paternity complaint arose in May 2019, claiming that Biden owed the Arkansas woman child support. Biden had previously denied the allegations.
According to court documents, a DNA test confirmed that Biden was the father of the child and he agreed in 2020 to pay monthly child support retroactive to November 2018.
Case reopened
In September 2022, the paternity case was reopened and several motions and counter motions followed.
Among the motions filed include a modification of the amount of child support, changing the child's last name to Biden, and having Hunter Biden appear in person at the Independence County courthouse.
Name change
In Dec. 2022, the woman's lawyer filed a motion to have the child carry the Biden last name, stating "the child would benefit from carrying the Biden family name, just like her father and other family members."
The motion goes on to say that changing the child's last name to Biden would "greatly impact and preserve her legacy as a member of the Biden family."
In response, Hunter Biden's lawyers denied the motion to be granted and demanded proof that changing the child's last name would be "in the best interest of the child."
His lawyers argued that the child's mother "equivocate her arguments depending on the motions ... by praising the Defendant and the Biden name to support the name change and then disparaging" Biden in others.
The response goes on to point out that in a different motion filed on the same day as the name change, the woman's lawyer took the opportunity to "spew about" Biden, including his "'ripe, and justified, public scrutiny resulting from his financial transactions.'"
Hunter ordered to appear
In March, a two-day bench trial was ordered in the case. The trial was scheduled for July 24-25 at 9:30 a.m. in Independence County, ordered by Circuit Judge Holly Meyer.
The schedule was directed and all parties were ordered to abide by the schedule in order to begin the trial on time. In a litany of motions, including the woman's lawyers asking the court to jail Biden in contempt for not supplying discovery and Biden's lawyers asking for a delay by accusing her lawyers of the same issue.
On April 28, in an order from Judge Meyer responding to a handful of motions, she says that on May 1, a hearing will take place and go through "all pending motions with the goal of" not delaying the July trial.
Judge Meyer also orders that "all parties are to physically appear for all future court hearings in this matter. The parties will no longer have their appearances excused."
Court documents also show that attorneys representing the child's mother say Biden failed to fully answer questions asked in a previous order, and that he should face jail time until he answers them.
5NEWS will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
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