A federal judge rejected a request from Hunter Biden’s legal team this week to allow the president’s son to make his arraignment on federal gun charges through a video conference instead of having to show up in person.

U.S. Magistrate Judge from the District of Delaware Christopher Burke rejected the request in an order on Wednesday afternoon.

Burke gave multiple reasons for denying, including that the Court believes the appearance in important because its one of the few times that the defendant will physically be in the courtroom and the setting “helps to emphasize the ‘integrity and solemnity of a federal criminal proceeding.'”

Special Counsel David Weiss indicted Hunter Biden earlier this month on three charges related to the purchase of a firearm, including allegedly making multiple false statements, and being unlawfully in possession of a firearm.

“Moreover, in this matter, most of the criminal charges that Defendant now faces are new and were not addressed at his prior hearing in July 2023-such that this will be the first time they are discussed in court,” Burke wrote. “The Court will also address Defendant’s pre-trial release conditions; while the Court expects it is likely that the currently-imposed conditions will remain in place, were either side to suggest alterations, the Court would want to be able to address that issue in person with the parties.”

“Other than during the exigent circumstances of the COVID crisis (when the Court was proceeding under the auspices of the now-expired CARES Act standing order), in 12 years as a judge on this Court, the undersigned cannot recall ever having conducted an initial appearance other than in person,” he continued. “That has been the case as to defendants of all types, regardless of their location or personal circumstance.”

Burke used the words from Hunter Biden’s legal team against him, saying that he agrees that Hunter Biden “should not receive special treatment in this matter-absent some unusual circumstance, he should be treated just as would any other defendant in our Court.”

“Any other defendant would be required to attend his or her initial appearance in person,” he said. “So too here.”

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Hunter Biden’s court appearance is scheduled for October 3 at 10 a.m. in Delaware.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland became visibly upset after a House lawmaker pressed him about the FBI producing a memo earlier this year that labeled so-called Radical-Traditional Catholics as potential domestic terrorists.

During a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Garland faced a barrage of questions over the Biden Administration’s actions over the last two years.

But when Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) asked about the Department of Justice and FBI persecuting traditional Catholics, the question triggered an enraged response from the attorney general.

“I have no idea what ‘traditional’ means here,” Garland said.

“Catholics that go to church,” Van Drew replied. “Yes or no?”

“The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous — is so absurd,” Garland said.

“Mr. Attorney General,” Van Drew interrupted. “It was your FBI that did this. It was your FBI, and we have the memos and emails [sic] sending undercover agents into Catholic churches.”

Earlier this year, FBI whistleblower Kyle Seraphin first published in UncoverDC, an unclassified intelligence document out of the bureau’s Richmond field office that targeted traditional Catholics who are “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists in radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology.”

Seraphin wrote in his piece for UncoverDC that the intelligence document shows a permissive tolerance within the bureau for left-leaning ideological actors that furthers the weaponization of the FBI against conservative Americans and could lead to “investigations into Americans in violation of their God-given, First Amendment-protected civil liberties.”

Almost immediately after the document leaked, FBI authorities purged the ant-Catholic memo from its system, saying the bureau would “never conduct investigative activities or open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.”

During the Wednesday hearing, Garland said that the memo “appalled” both him and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

“Are they extremists or not — I’m asking a simple question,” Van Drew said. “Say no, if you think that was wrong?”

“Catholics are not extremists, no,” Garland admitted.

When Van Drew asked if federal officials fired anyone for producing the memo, Garland said, “I don’t know.”

Attorney General Garland responds to Rep. Jeff Van Drew's (R-NJ) questions about the DOJ and FBI persecuting traditional Catholics: "The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous! So absurd!" pic.twitter.com/RKoTcXIL0o

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 20, 2023

Garland, who is Jewish, said during his opening statement at the hearing that his family fled antisemitism and persecution in Eastern Europe in the early 1900s.

“This country took her in, and under the protection of our laws, she was able to live without fear of persecution,” Garland said of his grandmother.

“Repaying this country for the debt my family owes for our very lives has been the focus of my entire professional career,” he later said.