INDEPENDENCE COUNTY, Ark. – A Batesville Judge has ordered President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden to be present in a Batesville courtroom Monday morning.

The younger Biden had been ordered on Tuesday to appear in court this coming Monday at 9 a.m. for contempt charges in an ongoing child support case first filed in 2019. Since then, attorneys have filed a series of motions and counter-motions, the most recent asking that Biden appear via video conference.

Biden’s attorney filed a motion at 7:38 a.m. Friday morning asking the judge to consider the logistics and media event an in-person appearance by Biden would create.

The judge has denied that motion in an order filed at 12:39 p.m., stating: “That all parties are to physically appear for all future court hearings in this matter. The parties will no longer have their appearances excused.” 

Biden was ordered to pay child support 2020 after Lunden Roberts filed her paternity claim in 2019. In September 2020 Biden’s attorney asked for the child support amount to be reset due to a change in income.

The Friday motion has many sections blacked out, likely reflecting the court granting a protection order for Biden in March to keep certain information under seal “to speed up litigation, make easier the discovery process, and maximize access to discoverable information.”

The March order also requires expert witnesses to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Court records show a continued series of filings from both sides since the March protection order decision.

Last Friday, Roberts’ attorney filed a motion for contempt. In the motion, he claimed Biden had not responded to any requests citing the March secrecy order and asking the court to jail the president’s son, stating: “This court should incarcerate the defendant in the Cleburne County Detention Center for flaunting the dignity and authority of this court.”

Biden lives in California.