Twelve jurors and four alternates have been selected in the first of what could be two federal criminal trials involving Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, according to the Associated Press.
The panel of Delaware residents was selected after just one day, where potential jurors were asked about their opinions on gun rights, political processes and whether the defendant’s father could influence their ability to be fair and impartial.
Hunter Biden will be tried on federal gun charges involving the purchase of a firearm in 2018. Federal prosecutors say the president’s son made false statements about illegal drug use when obtaining the gun and then illegally possessed it for 11 days.
He pleaded not guilty and on Monday began the first criminal trial of the son of a US president.
Here’s what to expect as the Hunter Biden trial begins.
Opening statements expected on Tuesday
Lawyers for Hunter Biden and the Justice Department could make their opening statements as early as Tuesday, where both sides will present their theory of the case to jurors.
Prosecutors are expected to argue that Hunter Biden lied when he marked “no” on a federal gun purchase form asking whether he was “an illegal user of or addicted to marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic or any other controlled substance.” .”
But Hunter Biden’s lawyers suggested the president’s son may have thought he was telling the truth, claiming he didn’t consider himself a drug addict when filling out the form.
“The issue here is Mr. Biden’s understanding of the issue, which asks in the present tense whether he ‘is’ a user or an addict,” said his lawyer, Abbe Lowell. wrote in court documents. “The terms ‘user’ or ‘addict’ are not defined on the form and were not explained to him.
“Someone, like Mr. Biden, who had just completed an 11-day rehab program and lived with a sober companion thereafter, could certainly believe that he was not a user or addict at the present time,” he continued.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
Who could testify
Prosecutors’ witness list includes three women who were romantically involved with Hunter Biden and are expected to testify about his drug use. They are not identified by name in court filings, but descriptions make some of their identities clear.
The first woman is Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Biden’s ex-wife who has three children with the defendant.
The second is Hallie Biden, widow of Beau Biden, Hunter’s late brother, who died of brain cancer. Hallie, who was romantically involved with Hunter after Beau’s death, threw the revolver in the center of the box into a trash can at a Wilmington supermarket when Hunter Biden was staying at his house.
The identity of the other woman remains unclear.
In addition to the three women, prosecutors revealed in court documents that they intend to call the gun store employee who sold the revolver and saw Hunter Biden fill out the background check form.
The list also includes a former Delaware police officer who recovered the firearm and a brown leather bag from the trash can.
Prosecutors have indicated they plan to call two experts: a chemist who will opine that a powder substance allegedly found in the bag was cocaine, and a drug enforcement officer who will opine on “coded messages” sent by Hunter Biden.
Court documents show that prosecutors also hope to rely on Hunter Biden’s text messages, bank records and excerpts from his memoirs and audiobook.
What are the charges
The president’s son faces three criminal charges in the case.
Hunter Biden faces two charges accusing him of lying on a federal background check form when he purchased a .38 Colt Cobra Special revolver at StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply, a gun store located in Wilmington, Del., on Oct. 12, 2018.
The defendant checked a box indicating that he was neither an illegal user of a controlled substance nor an addict, and the government alleges that he was both at the time, citing crack cocaine use.
The third and final count accuses Hunter Biden of illegal possession of the firearm. He kept it for 11 days, until the weapon was discarded in a supermarket bin.
If convicted of all charges, he could face a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
Special Counsel David Weiss’ charges are separate from Hunter Biden’s other case in California, where he faces nine charges for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and filing false returns.
The president is not accused of wrongdoing in either case.
Biden family signals support
Several members of the Biden family attended the Delaware courthouse, where the first day of Hunter Biden’s trial was taking place.
First lady Jill Biden arrived on Monday morning, and Hunter Biden’s sister, Ashley Biden, was also in attendance.
Although President Biden did not appear in court in Delaware — and said he would not comment on the federal trial — he issued a rare statement of support.
“I am the president, but I am also a father,” the president said in the statement. “Jill and I love our son and are so proud of the man he is today.”
The president is expected to leave for an overseas trip to Europe to mark D-Day in France this week. He will then head to Italy next week for the Group of Seven summit, so he is likely to miss most of his son’s trial in the US.
The Associated Press contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
