Defense rests on Hunter Biden’s trial

Defense attorneys rested their case Monday in Hunter Biden’s federal criminal trial over allegations that he lied on federal forms about using drugs to illegally buy a gun in 2018.

The president’s son was not called as a witness to testify, amid speculation about whether he would testify, the Associated Press reported.

The defense called three witnesses last week, including Naomi Biden, daughter of Hunter Biden, who detailed her father’s drug use and stints in rehab.

Biden faces three criminal charges in Delaware, where he is accused of lying in 2018 on a mandatory firearm purchase form in which he claimed not to use or be addicted to illegal drugs. He is also accused of purchasing the gun illegally while addicted to a controlled substance.

The charges were filed last fall after a plea deal collapsed amid criticism, particularly from the right, that the deal was too lenient on Hunter Biden. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

The prosecutor’s star witness was Hallie Biden, who was married to Hunter Biden’s brother, Beau, before his death from cancer in 2015; Hallie was in a romantic relationship with Hunter at the time of purchasing the gun. She told prosecutors that she “panicked” when she discovered Hunter Biden’s gun in 2018 and decided to discard the weapon in question.

Hallie Biden detailed Hunter Biden’s drug use during the time they were romantically involved and revealed that her brother-in-law introduced her to crack cocaine.

Monday’s court session began with discussions between the two sides about instructions that will be given to the jury before deliberations, the AP reported. Attorneys discussed how jurors could request to see certain physical evidence, including the gun, in the jury room, the AP added.

Hunter Biden’s defense attorneys argued that the proposed jury instructions presented “overly expansive and amorphous” definitions of what it means to be a drug “user” and “own” a firearm and could deny their client a fair trial. .

If convicted of all three charges, Hunter Biden could face a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.

President Biden reaffirmed last week that he would not pardon his son and would accept the outcome of the federal gun trial.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story