INDEPENDENCE COUNTY, ARKANSAS. JUDGE HOLLY MEVER PAGE 01/03 CIRCUIT CLERK GREG WALLIS. span ted tor Ha ren a fi crab bi ge ee SRE EO dint LUNDEN ALEXIS ROBERTS: i PLAINTIFF VS. NO. 32DR-19-187 ROBERT HUNTER BIDEN DEFENDANT ORDER ‘On this 10" of March, 2020 the Court in vacation considers the Defendant's Motion for Continuance filed this date at 1227 pm. The Court finds as follows. 1, The Defendant filed 2 Motion to Continue or Alternatively, Motion to Reconsider Motion to ‘Quash and Motion for Protective Order on this date at 12:27 p.m, approximately 24 hours prior to the Court scheduled March 11, 2020 deposition of Defendant Hunter Biden and 2 days before the agreed pretzial heating date March 13, 2020. : 2, For context in ruling on this Motion the Court has reviewed the history of this litigation and finds that the Defendant bas been given considerable leniency regarding continuances and delay. This matter-wes filed on May 28, 2019. On October 8, 2019,the parties agreed and the Court approved an order giving the defense an extra week to respond to a Motion. On December 3, 2019 Judge MeSpadden prophetically penned a letter wamning the parties not to “dsag out” this moatter. On December 4, 2019 the Court granted a defense continuance until Jaimary 7, 2020. On January 6, 2020 the Court granted the defendant's Motion to continue the hearing set January 7, 2020. On January 27, 2020 the parties agreed and the Court approved on order continuing the heating set January 29, 2020 until March 13, 2020. 3. Discovery deadlines in this matter have been set and then moved back from December 2, 2019, to December 12, 2019, to December 16, 2019, to January 16, 2020 to March 1, 2020. 4, Depositions of the Defendant have been moved from December 23, 2019, to March 5, 2020, to March 11-12, 2020.08/11/2020 15:01 5018624629 JUDGE HOLLY MEYER PAGE 02/03. Defense Motions for Protective Orders have been repeatedly filed and ruled upon including defense Motion of November 27, 2019 and December 13, 2019. Protective orders and supplemental protective orders have been entered. 6. Inrequesting this 4 continuance the defense fist cites the Defendain’s wife's pregnancy as ‘good cause for continuance, however, this fact was well known to all when the date of Match 13, 2020 for a heating in Arkansas was agzeed pon by the defense aad set by the Court: The Court had already ruled on January 2, 2020 that the Defendant's appearance was required. “The defendant's spouse is not allowed to attend his deposition per the prior protective order restticting onlookers and her appearance at the pretrial hearing is not required nor even suggested. 7. The defense second cites ongoing publicity surrounding the 2020 primary and presidential clections, as well as media attention as good cause to continue this case. The Court cannot foresee this subsiding as Mx. Biden is a public figure and interest in his person will continue. ‘The nine month continuance requested is excessive. 8. Finally, the defense cites the coronavirus end aic travel as an unreasonable danger. The © defendant can come by plane, train, ot automobile but life and work will and should continue _in our communities and courts. No health threat specif tothe defenduat has been identified, seasonsble precautions are appropriate 9, The best interest of the child thats t the center of this matter is served by a swift and timely adjudication of the questions of fact and law relevant to the support issue which isthe crux of this case, The defendant's arempts to delay this case aze mounting such that one begins to see a pattern of delay.08/11/2020 15:01 5013624629 JUDGE HOLLY MEYER PAGE 03/03 10, The Defendant's Motion to Continue the deposition of Hunter Biden on March 11-12, 2020 and the heating of March 13, 2020 are both denied as untimely and balancing all the factors mitigating for and against, not for good cause. 11. The Defendant's Motion to Reconsider Motion to Quash is denied as untimely and not in the best interest of the administration of justice. 12. The Defendant’s Motion for Protective Order is cumulative having been addressed in prior otders, however, the Court will continue to monitor this issue and hear arguments if there is new ground to cover. The defendants deposition on March 11-12, 2020 shall not be continued or delayed. 13. The proposed further delay in the defeadant’s deposition, the discovery disagreements, the requests for continuance, and the duplicitous requests for protective orders all seem to point to a pattern of difficulty in this matter which only serves to underline the serious need for a hearing in.this matter to advance the case. 14. All prior Orders remain in effect. ITISSO ORDERED. — Cixenit Judge