Staff Reports
This week, Hunter Biden is beginning his trial for three federal firearm offenses. The charges include making false statements during a background check to purchase a firearm and illegally possessing the gun over a period of time. If found guilty, he could face up to 25 years in prison, along with fines and supervised release.
The prosecution will argue that Hunter Biden knowingly lied on the federal form when purchasing the gun, stating he was not an unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance, despite his admissions of drug use in his book. The prosecution plans to present evidence including excerpts from Hunter Biden’s book, Beautiful Things, where he detailed his struggles with addiction. In addition, messages extracted from Hunter Biden’s laptop and testimonies from his exes are expected to be presented during the trial.
Town Hall: Hunter Biden's Gun Case Explained https://t.co/SEvIyFXzAm
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) June 3, 2024
The defense, however, is disputing that Hunter Biden understood the terms “unlawful user” and “addict” at the time he filled out the firearms form. They argue that there was no clear definition of these terms on the form, and that Hunter Biden had just completed an 11-day rehabilitation program, leading him to believe he was not a present tense user or addict.
Several witnesses are expected to testify in the trial, including Hunter Biden’s ex-wives and a DEA supervisory special agent who will interpret coded drug language used in Hunter Biden’s messages. The defense plans to present its own witnesses to refute the prosecution’s evidence and argue Hunter Biden’s state of mind at the time of the firearm purchase.
The judge has ruled on what evidence can be presented in the trial, restricting discussions about Hunter Biden’s personal lifestyle and previous legal issues. Additionally, the judge rejected Hunter Biden’s attempt to stop the trial, deeming it “frivolous.”
As the trial begins, it remains to be seen how the evidence and testimonies presented will influence the jury’s decision on Hunter Biden’s guilt or innocence in the federal firearm offenses.
