With a jury of six men and six women selected and sworn in, proceedings in Hunter Biden’s gun trial begin Tuesday morning when prosecutors and defense attorneys deliver opening statements.
The president’s son is charged with three counts related to his efforts to obtain a gun in 2018, at a time when he was in the grip of drug addiction.
Special Prosecutor David Weiss’ office has repeatedly called it a “simple case,” and prosecutors’ opening statement will be their first opportunity to present their story to jurors.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, is expected to make the argument that his client may have been confused by the language on ATF Form 4473, the document he is accused of lying about. The box where he allegedly checked “no” asked the gun buyer: “Are you an illegal user of or addicted to” various narcotics.
“The issue here is Mr. Biden’s understanding of the question, which asks in the present tense whether he ‘is’ a user or an addict,” Lowell wrote in court papers.
“The terms ‘user’ or ‘addict’ are not defined on the form and were not explained to him,” Lowell wrote. “Someone like Mr. Biden, who had just completed an 11-day rehabilitation program and then lived with a sober companion, could surely believe that he was not a user or addict in the present tense.”
Hunter Biden, left, accompanied by his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, leaves federal court, June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Del.
Matt Rourke/AP
After the parties deliver opening statements, prosecutors expect to call as their first witness FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen, who is expected to present as evidence several text messages from Hunter Biden and excerpts from his 2021 memoir, ” Beautiful Things,” along with other evidence. .
First lady Jill Biden attended the first day of the trial Monday, as did Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen, and his half-sister, Ashley Biden. President Joe Biden spent the day nearby at his and the first lady’s home in Wilmington.
Before the trial began, the parties anticipated that selecting a jury could take up to three days, but they accomplished the task in just one day, meaning the proceedings are well ahead of schedule.
Judge Maryellen Noreika told jurors they would likely have to be available for trial until June 14, with the possibility of deliberations extending into the week of June 17.
ABC News
