June 4th 2024.
On Tuesday, Federal prosecutors in Wilmington, Delaware presented Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, as a man driven by addiction and deceit. They described him as someone whose dark habits had a hold on him and affected those who loved him. According to the prosecutors, Hunter knowingly lied on federal forms in 2018 to purchase a gun, fully aware of what he was doing.
During the opening statements, the jurors were also shown the document that was at the center of the case. Hunter's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, argued that his client did not believe he was struggling with addiction at the time of filling out the form. He stated that in the short period that Hunter had the gun, he did not use it or even load it. Lowell confidently declared to the jurors that they would see that Hunter was not guilty.
The charges against Hunter Biden include three felonies related to the purchase of a Colt revolver while he was battling addiction to crack, as stated in his memoir. He is accused of lying to a licensed gun dealer and falsely claiming on the form that he was not a drug user, as well as illegally possessing the gun for 11 days.
This trial has brought up painful memories for the president and his family. It has also revealed personal details about their struggles with addiction as the 2024 election approaches. The first lady, Jill Biden, was present in the courtroom, sitting in the front row.
The jurors will hear from Hunter's uncle, James Biden, who has been a close support to Hunter and has helped him through previous rehab stints. They will also hear about Hunter's brief relationship with his late brother's widow, Hallie, who also became addicted to crack. Hallie had taken the gun from Hunter and thrown it into a nearby garbage bin out of fear of what he might do with it. The gun was later found by someone collecting cans and was eventually given to the police.
On Tuesday, while the trial was underway, the president was in Washington D.C. announcing an immigration order and hosting a picnic for congressional leaders before leaving for France later in the day. His wife, Jill Biden, was expected to join him in Europe.
The president's allies are concerned about the impact this trial might have on him. He has always been protective and deeply worried about his son's sobriety, and now he has to watch as his past mistakes are publicly scrutinized.
During the trial, the prosecutors spent hours focusing on Hunter's struggles with drug addiction, using his own words and messages to illustrate the severity of the situation. They presented emails and receipts for a detox facility he had attended before relapsing, as well as large sums of cash he had withdrawn to buy drugs.
The jurors were also shown Hunter's old laptop, the one he had left at a Delaware repair shop and never collected. In 2020, the contents of the laptop were leaked, revealing personal messages about his work and personal life. Hunter has since sued over the data breach.
In one of the messages from the laptop, Hunter's sister, Ashley, wrote to him, "I called you 500 times in the past 24 hours." To which Hunter responded, less than a minute later, saying he was "sleeping on a car, smoking crack on 4th street and Rodney." He added, "There's my truth," in a follow-up text.
The jury also listened to excerpts from Hunter's memoir, "Beautiful Things," where he talks about his return to Delaware and his downward spiral into drugs after the death of his brother in 2015. His written words were displayed on a screen as the audio was played. Hunter's sister, Ashley, who was present in the courtroom, had to leave after dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Jill Biden was also absent after lunch, as she was expected to join her husband in Washington.
The prosecutor, Derek Hines, told the jury that just days after Hunter had lied on the form, he was trying to buy drugs. He reminded them that nobody, not even Hunter Biden, is allowed to lie on a federal form. He stated, "He crossed the line when he chose to buy a gun and lied on a federal background check... the defendant's choice to buy a gun is why we are here."
Hines also mentioned that at the time of purchasing the gun, Hunter knew he was a drug addict, and it is not necessary for the prosecutor to prove that he was using drugs on the day of the purchase.
This trial comes after the collapse of a deal with prosecutors that would have avoided a trial so close to the 2024 election. Hunter had pleaded not guilty and argued that he was unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after Republicans criticized the plea deal, claiming it was special treatment for the son of a Democratic president.
Lowell argued that the form asked if the person "are" a drug user, not if they have ever been one. He suggested that Hunter did not see himself as a drug user when he bought the gun.
Lowell also blamed Hallie for Hunter's problems with the gun, stating that she had disposed of it without his knowledge. He stated, "After he bought the gun, Hunter did nothing with it." According to Lowell, the gun only became a problem because of what Hallie did.
If Hunter Biden is found guilty, he could face up to 25 years in prison, although it is unlikely for a first-time offender to receive the maximum sentence. It is also unclear if the judge would sentence him to prison time.
This trial is happening just a few days after the conviction of the former president, Donald Trump, on 34 felonies in New York City. Although the two cases are not related, their proximity emphasizes how the courts have become a central focus in the 2024 election.
Hunter Biden is also scheduled to go on trial in California in September for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes. These two cases were supposed to be resolved through a deal with prosecutors in July last year, after a years-long investigation into his business dealings. However, the deal fell through when the judge questioned some of its unusual aspects. Following this, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed David Weiss, a former U.S. attorney for Delaware, as a special counsel in August, and a month later, Hunter was indicted.
On Tuesday, Garland faced members of the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in Washington, who have been investigating the president and his family. The chairman has also been leading a stalled impeachment inquiry based on Hunter Biden's business dealings. The trial will continue, with updates to come.
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