In a recent development, Fox News has taken down a six-part series in which it staged a mock trial of hypothetical criminal charges against Hunter Biden. The decision came after Biden's legal team threatened to sue the network, accusing it of defamation and other allegations.

The controversial series, initially released on Fox News' right-wing streaming service in October 2022, was removed just one day after Biden's legal team publicly made their threat. In response to the situation, Fox News Media stated that they are reviewing the concerns raised and have decided to take down the series "out of an abundance of caution."

This move by the media giant comes after it released a statement denouncing Biden's accusations, asserting that their coverage of him falls within their constitutional rights. This isn't the first time Fox News has faced legal challenges regarding defamation claims. Last year, the network paid a staggering $787.5 million to settle a defamation suit related to false claims about Dominion Voting Systems and the 2020 election. Additionally, they are currently facing a multi-billion dollar lawsuit from another voting tech company.

It is worth noting that Hunter Biden does face federal charges related to tax and gun violations. He has entered a plea of not guilty for both charges, and trials are expected to begin this summer. His legal team recently revealed that they had been pressuring Fox News privately to retract stories and segments amplifying unsubstantiated claims regarding Biden's alleged involvement in funneling bribes to the president from Ukrainian interests.

The allegations against Hunter Biden have been perpetuated by figures at Fox News, including Maria Bartiromo and Jesse Watters, according to a liberal watchdog group, Media Matters. However, it is crucial to mention that a key source of these claims, Alexander Smirnov, is now facing federal charges for lying to the FBI about the allegations. Smirnov confessed that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in circulating the claims.

Fox News initially stood by its handling of these allegations against Hunter Biden, but ultimately decided to remove the mock-trial series after receiving the legal threat. The network maintained that its coverage was accurately based on highly publicized events and the subsequent indictment of an FBI informant who was the source of certain claims about Biden.

If Hunter Biden were to follow through on his threat to sue Fox News for defamation, U.S. law states that he would need to prove that the network knowingly aired false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

The mock trial series, titled "The Trial of Hunter Biden," aired on Fox Nation and presented a fictionalized version of what a trial against him might look like. Judge Joe Brown, the television personality overseeing the series, explicitly stated that it was not a real trial and that Hunter Biden was not facing charges.

Biden's legal team, which includes Mark Geragos, Bryan Freedman, and Tina Glandian, known for their aggressive tactics, wrote a letter to Fox News, accusing the network of engaging in "revenge porn" by airing scandalous material from Biden's infamous laptop. The letter demanded a retraction and correction from Fox News, stating that the network had intentionally misled the public.

As the legal battle between Hunter Biden and Fox News develops, it remains to be seen how the network will respond to these latest accusations and demands from Biden's legal team.