Hunter Biden’s motion hearing set for Heber Springs canceled

Hunter Biden (right center) and his attorney Abbe Lowell (right) enter the Independence County Courthouse in Batesville on Monday, May 1, 2023, in his child support and paternity case. 
(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)
Hunter Biden (right center) and his attorney Abbe Lowell (right) enter the Independence County Courthouse in Batesville on Monday, May 1, 2023, in his child support and paternity case. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe)

A motion hearing scheduled for today in the Hunter Biden paternity and child support case has been canceled after attorneys on both sides settled all issues that were expected to be argued in court.

Hunter Biden, the plaintiff in the case and the son of President Joe Biden, has been involved in a yearslong court battle with Batesville resident Lunden Roberts, the plaintiff in the case, over the couple's 4-year-old daughter.

Hunter Biden, Roberts and their attorneys were scheduled to appear in a Heber Springs courtroom this morning to discuss any ongoing items related to discovery that could not be resolved through court filings.

In an order filed Monday, Circuit Judge Holly Meyer stated that "all pending items" were sorted out by both parties and that "no hearing was necessary." The trial is scheduled to begin July 24.

Biden, 53, is seeking to lower his $20,000 monthly child support payment to Roberts, 32.

On Friday, Clint Lancaster, one of Roberts' attorneys, accused Biden in court documents of "playing games" during the discovery process of the case. In legal terms, discovery is the exchange of evidentiary information between the parties in preparation for trial.

Lancaster has accused Biden of dragging his feet whenever the court has compelled him to provide financial information. During a May 1 hearing in front of Meyer, Lancaster said Biden was submitting incomplete income documents. In a court filing Friday, Lancaster said Biden has continued to defy the court.

"[This] is a hallmark Biden litigation tactic," Lancaster wrote.

"Mr. Biden does not want to disclose his income and assets, says that he is somewhat financial destitute, while he lives on a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, has Secret Service protection, and enjoys his time abroad," he continued.

Lancaster argued the delays in providing the materials mean that one of his key witnesses, Garrett Ziegler, didn't have have ample time to review everything before his deposition with Biden's attorneys, which was scheduled for Monday. Biden's attorneys have objected to Ziegler, a conservative activist and previously an aide to former president Donald Trump, being declared an expert witness.

Ziegler manages a website that has published information culled from Biden's laptop, which was abandoned four years ago at a Delaware computer store.

Lancaster asked Meyer late last week to modify the court schedule, which would have given Ziegler more time to review the discovery documents. In response, Brent Langdon, one of Biden's attorneys, said Ziegler "had access to substantial portions of discovery for weeks."

In a response filed Friday, Meyer declined to change the court schedule, clearing the way for the Ziegler deposition to go forward. Meyer also told attorneys they should notify her Monday about whether all additional discovery matters are settled.

That afternoon, Meyer canceled the hearing scheduled for today, indicating that all lingering issues were resolved.

A message left with Lancaster on Monday was not returned. Langdon also could not be reached Monday.

The case started in 2019 as a paternity case. The case was closed the following year after a DNA test confirmed that Biden was the girl's biological father. It was reopened sometime later after Biden requested that the judge lower his agreed-upon child support payments. He made that request alleging a significant reduction in income.

Depositions for both Biden and Roberts are scheduled for the week of June 12.


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