Hunter Biden’s federal firearm trial in Delaware has reached a critical point as his defense team rested on Monday, with the jury potentially beginning deliberations soon. Despite initial consideration of Hunter testifying in his defense following perceived aggression towards his daughter by government cross-examination, it was ultimately decided that he would not take the stand. The defense team, led by Abbe Lowell, is expected to rest without risking further complications by having Hunter testify.
On Monday, both sides finalized jury instructions with the judge and were in private discussions on other matters. The defense is expected to request the dismissal of the case, although it is likely to be denied by the presiding judge, Maryellen Noreika. Following this decision, each side will present closing arguments, and the judge will issue instructions to the jury. The prosecution’s case centers on Hunter Biden’s alleged drug use in 2018 and 2019, claiming that he falsely declared drug-free status on a federal firearms form, while the defense has sought to challenge the prosecution’s witnesses and narrow the focus to Hunter’s drug use at the time of gun purchase in October 2018.
Over the course of the trial, Hunter Biden’s former romantic partners, including his former wife, onetime girlfriend, and his brother’s widow, have testified about his descent into crack addiction after his brother’s death. Hunter’s daughter, Naomi Biden Neal, was the only woman called by the defense, providing an optimistic view of his drug use before buying the gun but struggling with cross-examination that revealed a strained relationship punctuated by anguish and upheaval. While the defense has established that Hunter was not seen using crack in the month he bought the gun, incriminating text messages recovered from his phone have posed challenges to his defense strategy.
Text messages revealing Hunter Biden’s interaction with a dealer named Mookie and references to smoking crack shortly after purchasing the gun have been particularly damaging to the defense’s case. Subsequent cross-examination of witnesses, including a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent tasked with decoding drug-related terms in Hunter’s messages, highlighted inconsistencies in the prosecution’s narrative. Despite efforts by Hunter’s defense team to refute allegations of crack use in October 2018, the text messages and other evidence presented by the prosecution have undermined his claims of drug-free status and could influence the jury’s judgment in the case.
As Hunter Biden’s federal firearms trial reaches its conclusion, the decision to rest the defense without Hunter testifying reflects a strategic choice to minimize risk and potential complications in the case. Despite emotional testimony from his former partners and daughter, as well as efforts to challenge the prosecution’s evidence, the text messages containing incriminating references to drug use remain a significant point of contention. The jury’s upcoming deliberations will determine the outcome of the trial, considering the arguments presented by both sides and the weight of the evidence in assessing Hunter Biden’s culpability in the charges against him.
