Jury selected as Hunter Biden trial on gun charges kicks off
US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the purchase and possession of a gun.
The first day of Hunter Biden’s criminal trial has ended with a jury seated to hear the gun charges against the president’s son.
Hunter Biden, the second son of President Joe Biden, faces three felony charges related to his 2018 purchase and possession of a revolver. At the time, his memoir indicates he was battling addiction. Prosecutors accuse him of lying on his federal firearms application about his drug use, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
On Monday, in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, six men and six women were selected as jurors, along with four alternates. Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday.
The trial occurs amid President Biden’s re-election campaign, and the jury pool was questioned about their ability to remain impartial during this politically charged time. Potential jurors were also screened for biases related to drug addiction and gun rights. Judge Maryellen Noreika instructed the jury not to discuss or read about the case before adjourning.
Members of the Biden family attended Monday’s proceedings, including First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter’s wife Melissa Cohen Biden, and his half-sister Ashley Biden.
“Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” President Biden said in a statement, emphasizing that many families have loved ones who have struggled with addiction.
Hunter Biden is charged with lying about his use of illegal drugs when he purchased a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days in October 2018. This trial follows the collapse of a plea deal that would have settled the case last July.
If convicted on all charges, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison, though sentences are typically shorter, according to the US Department of Justice.
The case will focus on Hunter Biden’s crack cocaine use and addiction, which he has publicly discussed and detailed in his 2021 autobiography, "Beautiful Things." He told Judge Noreika last year that he has been sober since mid-2019.
Prosecutors aim to prove that Hunter Biden knowingly lied when he checked "no" on a federal gun purchase form asking if he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance. They have indicated they might use evidence from Hunter Biden’s phone and iCloud account, including photos of him smoking crack and messages with drug dealers, and may call his former wife, Kathleen Buhle, as a witness.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have suggested they may argue he had completed a drug rehabilitation program before purchasing the gun, and that he believed his answer on the form was truthful.
However, over the weekend, Judge Noreika issued orders requested by prosecutors that appeared to undercut Biden’s legal strategy. She ruled that Biden’s legal team could not introduce expert testimony suggesting that people suffering from substance abuse disorder might not consider themselves addicts, which could have supported Biden’s claim that he did not knowingly lie on the background check form. The government must prove that Biden knowingly lied.
The first day of Hunter Biden’s criminal trial has ended with a jury seated to hear the gun charges against the president’s son.
Hunter Biden, the second son of President Joe Biden, faces three felony charges related to his 2018 purchase and possession of a revolver. At the time, his memoir indicates he was battling addiction. Prosecutors accuse him of lying on his federal firearms application about his drug use, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
On Monday, in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, six men and six women were selected as jurors, along with four alternates. Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday.
The trial occurs amid President Biden’s re-election campaign, and the jury pool was questioned about their ability to remain impartial during this politically charged time. Potential jurors were also screened for biases related to drug addiction and gun rights. Judge Maryellen Noreika instructed the jury not to discuss or read about the case before adjourning.
Members of the Biden family attended Monday’s proceedings, including First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter’s wife Melissa Cohen Biden, and his half-sister Ashley Biden.
“Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” President Biden said in a statement, emphasizing that many families have loved ones who have struggled with addiction.
Hunter Biden is charged with lying about his use of illegal drugs when he purchased a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days in October 2018. This trial follows the collapse of a plea deal that would have settled the case last July.
If convicted on all charges, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison, though sentences are typically shorter, according to the US Department of Justice.
The case will focus on Hunter Biden’s crack cocaine use and addiction, which he has publicly discussed and detailed in his 2021 autobiography, "Beautiful Things." He told Judge Noreika last year that he has been sober since mid-2019.
Prosecutors aim to prove that Hunter Biden knowingly lied when he checked "no" on a federal gun purchase form asking if he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance. They have indicated they might use evidence from Hunter Biden’s phone and iCloud account, including photos of him smoking crack and messages with drug dealers, and may call his former wife, Kathleen Buhle, as a witness.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have suggested they may argue he had completed a drug rehabilitation program before purchasing the gun, and that he believed his answer on the form was truthful.
However, over the weekend, Judge Noreika issued orders requested by prosecutors that appeared to undercut Biden’s legal strategy. She ruled that Biden’s legal team could not introduce expert testimony suggesting that people suffering from substance abuse disorder might not consider themselves addicts, which could have supported Biden’s claim that he did not knowingly lie on the background check form. The government must prove that Biden knowingly lied.
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