Hunter Biden to plead not guilty to gun charges

US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, will plead not guilty to three criminal charges relating to a gun purchase he made in 2018, his lawyer has said.

In a letter to the judge, attorney Abbe Lowell confirmed the intended plea while asking that the initial court appearance be held remotely.

Mr Biden was indicted last week for possessing a gun while he was an illegal drug user and lying to buy it.

If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.

The 53-year-old "will waive reading of the indictment, which is merely a few pages and could easily be read at a video conference", Mr Lowell wrote in the two-page court filing on Tuesday.

Mr Lowell added that seeking a video hearing was not a case of the president's son "seeking any special treatment".

Instead, he said, it would "minimize an unnecessary burden on government resources and the disruption to the courthouse and downtown areas" from the Secret Service detail accompanying Mr Biden.

But prosecutors have opposed the request for a virtual hearing, Judge Christopher Burke told the court late on Monday.

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