Hunter Biden ‘s trial on federal firearms charges in Delaware could last up to two weeks and likely include sharp disagreements over evidence as it plays out during his father’s reelection campaign. President Joe Biden’s son is charged with lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he kept for about 11 days in Delaware.
Quick Read
- Hunter Biden Gun Trial Set for June 3, Expected to Last Up to 2 Weeks Amid Evidence Disputes
- Trial Duration: Hunter Biden’s trial on federal firearms charges could last up to two weeks, with significant disagreements over evidence expected.
- Charges: He is accused of lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun.
- Defense Position: Biden’s lawyers argue he did not break the law and that the case is politically motivated.
- Key Ruling: U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled that prosecutors do not need to prove Biden used drugs on the day of the gun purchase.
- Laptop Data: The defense will question the authenticity of data from a laptop allegedly belonging to Biden; prosecutors claim the data is uncompromised.
- Memoir Evidence: Prosecutors will use portions of Biden’s 2021 memoir detailing his struggles with addiction; defense attorneys will be allowed to introduce broader excerpts.
- Gun Form Alterations: Defense claims the gun-purchase form was altered by employees after the sale; the judge has yet to rule on this matter.
- Unflattering Episodes: The judge will block mention of other unflattering personal episodes unless Hunter Biden testifies.
- Tax Charges: Biden also faces federal tax charges in Los Angeles, with a trial set for September.
- Plea Agreement Collapse: A previous plea agreement fell apart after a judge raised concerns, leading to Biden’s indictment.
- Political Pressure: Biden’s lawyers claim the indictments were influenced by political pressure, including criticism from former President Donald Trump.
The Associated Press has the story:
Hunter Biden gun trial set for June 3 could last up to 2 weeks amid disputes over evidence
Newslooks- WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) —
Hunter Biden ‘s trial on federal firearms charges in Delaware could last up to two weeks and likely include sharp disagreements over evidence as it plays out during his father’s reelection campaign. President Joe Biden’s son is charged with lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he kept for about 11 days in Delaware.
Hunter Biden has acknowledged an addiction to crack cocaine during that period, but his lawyers have said he didn’t break the law and the case is politically motivated. He didn’t speak to reporters as he accompanied his lawyers to and from the Wilmington courthouse for a hearing on Friday.
Prosecutors won a victory on one key point as U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika found that they wouldn’t have to prove that he specifically used drugs on the day of the purchase.
She agreed to consider, however, defense questions about the contents of a laptop that he allegedly dropped off at a Delaware repair shop.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys want to raise questions about the authenticity of the laptop’s data at trial. Prosecutors say that there’s no evidence it has been compromised and that a drawn-out fight would be a waste of time. The laptop has been the source of controversy for years after Republicans accessed and disseminated personal data from it.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika said she will consider objections to specific pieces of data as the trial unfolds.
Prosecutors also plan to show jurors portions of his 2021 memoir “Beautiful Things,” in which he detailed his struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse following the 2015 death of his older brother, Beau, of brain cancer at age 46.
Defense attorneys argued prosecutors were cherry-picking evidence, and the judge agreed to allow Biden’s attorneys to introduce wider selections.
His attorney Abbe Lowell also says there are indications that the gun-purchase form was changed by employees after the sale. Prosecutors say there were only minor additions unrelated to the parts Hunter Biden filled out.
Noreika didn’t immediately rule on whether the defense could introduce an altered version of the form at trial, which is expected to begin with jury selection on June 3.
She agreed to block prosecutors from introducing other unflattering episodes in his personal life, though she said those could come in if Hunter Biden decides to testify.
“There’s a number of issues that may become more contentious should Mr. Biden testify,” Noreika said.
Hunter Biden is also facing federal tax charges in Los Angeles and is set for trial in that case in September. He’s accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years while living an “extravagant lifestyle” during a period in which he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. The back taxes have since been paid.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have pushed unsuccessfully in both cases to have them dismissed. They have argued, among other things, that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict him after a plea agreement hit the skids in court and was publicly pilloried by Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, as a “sweetheart deal.”
Trump, who is running to unseat the Democratic president, faces his own legal problems. He is charged in four criminal cases, including a hush money trial underway in New York.
The long-running federal investigation into the president’s son had looked ready to wrap up with a plea deal last year, but the agreement imploded after a judge raised questions about it. Hunter Biden was subsequently indicted.
Under the deal, he would have gotten two years of probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges. He also would have avoided prosecution on the gun charge if he stayed out of trouble.
