WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday denied Hunter Biden’s latest bid to dismiss the tax charges against him, setting the stage for his trial to begin next month in California.

Citing a ruling in Florida that threw out a separate prosecution of former President Donald Trump, Hunter Biden’s lawyers had urged the judge to dismiss the case accusing him of a four-year scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon tossed Trump’s classified documents case last month because she said special counsel Jack Smith, who filed those charges, was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling.

Hunter Biden’s lawyers had argued the same logic should apply in his case, which was brought by a different Justice Department special counsel.

But U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi noted in his ruling that he had already rejected a previous challenge by Hunter Biden to the appointment of special counsel David Weiss. The judge said there is “no valid basis for reconsideration” of that decision.

Scarsi, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, had accused Hunter Biden’s lawyers of making “false statements” in their court filing urging the judge to dismiss the case. At issue was a defense comment that no charges were brought in the investigation until after Weiss was named special counsel in August 2023.

The judge noted that Weiss had not yet been named special counsel when he charged Hunter Biden with misdemeanor tax offenses as part of a plea deal that fell apart last year. Scarsi ordered Hunter Biden’s lawyers to explain why they should not be sanctioned.

Hunter Biden’s lawyers responded that they have “never tried to mislead” the court.

In his order Monday, the judge said he would not sanction defense lawyers after they amended their filing. But the judge wrote that the defense’s “conduct warrants an admonition: candor is paramount.”

A hearing in the case is set for Wednesday, when the judge is expected to hear arguments over what evidence the prosecution and defense can present to jurors.

It’s the second criminal trial in just months against the president’s son, who was convicted in June of three felony charges in a separate federal case stemming from the purchase of a gun in 2018.

A luxury superyacht like the Bayesian, which capsized and sank early Monday with more than a dozen people on board, is typically built to withstand extreme weather conditions, but not everything is 100% guaranteed, says one expert.  

Fox News Digital spoke with eSysman of the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachts, to find out what could have gone wrong with the vessel. 

The host, who identifies publicly as eSysman, told Fox News Digital that a high-caliber yacht like the Bayesian, should typically be able to withstand up to “extreme weather conditions,” but qualified that “there are always limits.” 

“Obviously, any voyage plan will take into account the weather. Wind, wave sizes, and frequencies of the waves will be studied and precise prediction of weather has improved over the years, but it’s still not 100%,” eSysman said, noting that it is ultimately the captain who is responsible for the vessel. 

WHO IS MIKE LYNCH, THE BRITISH TECH ENTREPRENEUR MISSING AFTER YACHT SANK?

The Bayesian was notable for its single 246-foot mast — one of the world’s tallest made of aluminum and which was lit up at night, just hours before it sank. Online charter sites listed it for rent for up to 195,000 euros – or around about $215,000 – a week.

Sicily’s civil protection agency said that a tornado over the water known as a waterspout had struck the area overnight. 

British tech magnate Mike Lynch and five other people were missing after their luxury superyacht sank during a freak storm off Sicily early Monday, authorities said. 

Lynch’s wife and 14 other people survived. Lynch was among six people who remain unaccounted for after their chartered sailboat sank off the Italian city of Porticello, near Palermo, sometime after 4 a.m. 

In this handout screen grab taken from a video provided by Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili dei del Fuoco, an Italian Coast Guard ship is seen at the site of a sunken vessel on August 19, 2024, in Palermo, Italy.  (Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili dei del Fuoco via Getty Images)

“There’s always the possibility of survivors. This is why the search and rescue will keep going, no matter how slim the chances are,” eSysman said. “But life expectancy in cold water is short.”

If a vessel is caught in high-winds, eSysman, [they] will start their engines, and maneuver into a position where the wind is on the bow, avoiding the beam or the side of the vessel from being against the wind. 

“We’re not sure if the yacht was at anchor or was sailing. The eyewitness report seems to suggest the vessel was anchored in the bay, but the AIS data’s lost position said she was underway, so we’re not sure which is correct,” eSysman said. 

“AIS” refers to “Automatic Identification System,” which is a short-range coastal tracking system used on ships. 

Per its YouTube channel, the team at eSysman SuperYachts comprises all serving or ex-maritime professions, with eSysman himself having more than two decades in the industry working on various SuperYachts of all sizes “including some of the largest in the world.” 

The crew and passengers of the Bayesian hailed from a variety of countries: In addition to Britain and the United States, passengers and crew were from Antigua, France, Germany, Ireland, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch is deploying a team of four inspectors to Italy to conduct a preliminary assessment. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office said it was “providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families.”

Built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, the yacht can accommodate 12 passengers in four double cabins, a triple and the master suite, plus crew accommodations, according to Charter World and Yacht Charters.