Deliberations have commenced in the federal gun trial of Hunter Biden, the son of the President of the United States. Biden faces charges relating to his purchase of a revolver in October 2018, which include three felonies.
Despite his lawyers’ initial statement that they were considering calling him to testify, Hunter Biden was not called to the stand.
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On Monday morning, the defense concluded its case after FBI special agent Erika Jensen returned to the stand to scrutinize the text messages that were presented last week. The defense emphasized that the location data that was provided is not conclusive as there were gaps when there was no data available. Moreover, they highlighted other purported weaknesses in the narrative of Hunter Biden’s actions during that period.
Over the weekend, Hunter Biden’s legal team deliberated on whether or not to call him to testify in his defense. Prior to this, they had already called on several witnesses, including his daughter Naomi Biden, on Friday.
The judge delivered instructions to the jury on Monday morning. Following that, the prosecution presented their closing argument, which lasted for an hour just before noon. The defense then began presenting their argument.
On Monday, the Biden family showed their unwavering support for Hunter Biden in court. The first lady, Jill Biden, her daughter Ashley Biden, the first lady’s sister, and the president’s siblings Valerie and Jimmy Biden joined Hunter’s wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, in the first row, sitting side by side. Although President Biden was not present at the trial, he was in Wilmington on Monday morning.
In October 2018, Hunter Biden was charged with three felonies in connection to the purchase of a revolver. The charges include allegations that he provided false information on a federal gun form about his drug use. It is claimed that during the time he certified he was not a user or addicted to a controlled substance, he was actually struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine.
Hunter Biden is facing charges of allegedly owning a gun unlawfully and possessing it for 11 days. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Additionally, Hallie Biden found and discarded the weapon.
Last week, the prosecution presented evidence and statements from several individuals in the trial against Hunter Biden. Testimonies were given by Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Zoe Kestan, his ex-girlfriend, and Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother Beau Biden, with whom Hunter Biden was romantically involved after Beau’s passing in 2015. Gordon Cleveland, the man who allegedly sold Hunter Biden the firearm, also provided his testimony.
During last week’s trial, Hallie Biden, who is regarded as the prosecution’s key witness, revealed that she felt overwhelmed when she stumbled upon the gun. She admitted to panicking and expressed her desire to dispose of both the firearm and bullets as quickly as possible.
She explained that her main concern was the safety of her family. “I didn’t want him to harm himself, nor did I want the children to accidentally come across the weapon and hurt themselves,” she stated. Despite considering hiding the gun, she ultimately decided against it, fearing that it might be found by one of her kids.
During her testimony, Hallie Biden revealed that Hunter had introduced her to crack cocaine following her husband’s passing. She expressed deep remorse for that period of her life, stating that it was a terrible experience that she is embarrassed and ashamed of.
The central issue in the prosecution’s case revolves around whether or not Hunter Biden was aware that he was being dishonest about his drug use. During his opening statement, Prosecutor Derek Hines emphasized that while addiction may not necessarily be a choice, the act of lying and purchasing a firearm is certainly a conscious decision.
During the trial, Cleveland gave testimony that Hunter Biden appeared to understand the form when he sold him the firearm in October of 2018.
During the trial, Hallie Biden revealed that Hunter Biden was under the influence of drugs when he purchased the gun in October 2018. Supporting evidence were the texts that indicated his drug use, with one saying he was “sleeping on car smoking crack.” However, Naomi Biden had a different testimony. She mentioned that her father appeared to be doing well towards the end of October 2018 and she did not see any drug-related items when she borrowed his truck.
It’s no secret that Hunter Biden has struggled with drug addiction, a topic he candidly wrote about in his memoir, “Beautiful Things.” However, his lawyer, Lowell, has raised concerns about whether Hunter intentionally left out this information from his disclosure form. Lowell argued that many addicts are in denial about their drug use and that Hunter did not consider himself to be an addict at the time he bought the gun.
During her testimony, Naomi Biden revealed that her father had been struggling with addiction, particularly after the death of her uncle, Beau Biden. However, she made it clear that she had never witnessed him using illegal drugs in her presence. While she acknowledged that her father’s addiction had taken a toll on their family, she also emphasized that she had never seen him under the influence of drugs.
Despite President Biden’s absence from the trial, his family members have been present throughout the proceedings. First lady Jill Biden has attended almost every day, except for when she accompanied the President to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Additionally, Ashley Biden, the Bidens’ daughter and Hunter Biden’s half-sister, has also been in court, although she left the courtroom in tears on one occasion.
