Bidens shredded as prosecutors urge jury not to be influenced by their presence at Hunter's gun trial

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE: Federal prosecutors urged jurors not to be influenced by the presence of the First Son Hunter Biden's family members in the Delaware courtroom.  

His federal trial centers on allegations that Hunter lied about his drug use when purchasing a firearm.

The jury, composed of six men and six women, began deliberations in the late afternoon on Monday, June 10, adjourning after an hour to continue the following morning. Prosecutor Leo Wise, during his closing arguments, emphasized the importance of focusing on the evidence rather than the notable figures in the gallery.

Hunter Biden's federal gun trial prosecutor reminds jurors 'no one is above the law' during closing arguments

Wise's closing argument aimed to remind jurors to base their verdict solely on the evidence presented. He pointed out the attendance of Hunter's family members, including his half-sister Ashley Biden, wife Melissa Cohen Biden, uncle James Biden, and aunt Valerie Biden Owens, alongside First Lady Jill Biden, as per the New York Post.

"All of this is not evidence," stated the prosecutor, adding, "People sitting in the gallery are not evidence." He stressed that witness testimonies and physical evidence should be the jury's only considerations, stressing that "no one is above the law."

Central to the prosecution's case is the assertion that Hunter was addicted to crack cocaine at the time he purchased a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver on October 12, 2018. Wise argued that the government had demonstrated a pattern of drug use by Hunter, evidenced through messages found on his infamous laptop.

"We see in these messages [Hunter] buying drugs, telling other people he was using drugs, and describing himself as an addict. He had lost the power of self-control. That’s why he kept going to rehab. He couldn’t stop on his own," noted Wise. 

Hunter faces three felony counts related to his alleged false claims of sobriety on a federal firearm application form. The prosecution is not required to prove that Hunter was under the influence on the exact day of the gun purchase, only that he was in the throes of addiction around that time.

If found guilty, he could face up to 25 years behind bars.

To strengthen their case, prosecutors presented audio excerpts from the first son's memoir, "Beautiful Things," where he referred to crack cocaine as his "superpower."

The prosecution's witnesses included Hunter's ex-wife and two former girlfriends, one of whom testified that he used the drug "every 20 minutes." Wise acknowledged the deeply personal and unsightly nature of the evidence but deemed it essential.

He said, "The evidence was personal. It was ugly, and it was overwhelming. The defendant used crack and was addicted to crack and knew he used crack and knew he was addicted to crack during the relevant time period."

"He didn’t use drugs by accident. He knew he was using drugs and he knew he was addicted to drugs. Maybe if he’d never been to rehab, he could argue he didn’t know he was an addict," stressed the prosecutor. 

Hunter Biden's defense attorney refutes evidence presented by prosecution

Hunter's defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, argued that his client did not knowingly lie about his addiction on the firearm application form. He posited that the first son was in a "deep state of denial" about his substance abuse, latching on to the term "knowingly" in the legal context.

Lowell said, "That statement, when made, was not what he believed to be false. The word ‘knowingly’ could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt." 

Furthermore, he pointed out that Hunter's memoir, written in 2021, should not be taken as a diary reflecting his state in 2018.

"It was not a diary. What did it say about 2018 between August when he went to The View [rehab facility] until the time he bought the gun? Nothing," noted Lowell. He also contested the relevance of photos showing Hunter with a crack pipe, saying that they were taken before the specific period in question.

One of the trial's most contentious moments occurred during the cross-examination of Hunter's daughter, Naomi Biden, with the defense accusing the prosecution of being "extraordinarily cruel" in their questioning.

"Who called the defendant’s daughter as a witness in this case?" asked prosecutor Derek Hines in his rebuttal to Lowell, adding, "Not us." He argued that her distress stemmed from "sitting there, knowing she was testifying as a defense witness, but she had to tell the truth. She couldn’t vouch for the defendant’s sobriety in October [2018]."

During the closing arguments, Wise reiterated that the prosecution did not need to prove Hunter was using drugs on the day of the gun purchase but rather that he was addicted around that time.

"The United States is not required to prove the defendant used drugs on October 12 when he bought the gun. The United States is not required to prove he used drugs from October 12 to October 23. There is no requirement that the United States prove use [of drugs] in the month of October," said the prosecutor. 

Wise referenced a message Hunter sent to his daughter Naomi, in which he requested to pick up his truck from her at 3.00 am, as evidence of his erratic behavior. "Texting at 2.40 in the morning to come to Midtown to exchange the truck means the defendant was not OK,” argued the prosecutor.

He also dismissed the defense's argument that Hunter lied to his sister-in-law, Hallie Biden, to avoid seeing her, asserting that such an elaborate lie indicated genuine drug use. "If he didn’t want to see her, he didn’t need to make up an elaborate story about two drug deals," stated Wise. 

He continued, "You don’t leave your common sense behind when you come into that jury box," insisting that jurors may feel either "disgust or sympathy” for Hunter’s addiction, but those emotions were irrelevant to the case. "Addiction isn’t a crime. Lying to buy a gun is," mentioned Wise. 

The prosecutor urged the jury to consider Hunter's own admissions, both in his messages and in his memoir. "Take the defendant’s word for it. That’s his truth," remarked Wise as he highlighted the traces of cocaine found on the pouch where the gun was stored as physical evidence of drug use.

Hines added, "The laws at issue in this case exist to prevent crack addicts and crack users from owning guns. If this evidence didn’t establish Hunter Biden was a crack addict and unlawful user, then no one is a crack addict or unlawful user."

Internet reacts as prosecutor tells jurors to ignore Hunter Biden's family

"I expect the fix was in before the trial started. J Biden was there primarily to intimidate jurors/encourage them to dismiss all charges," said one.

A person remarked, "Look at the waste of judicial resources and taxpayers' dollars during the Hunter Biden Trial of Bad Choices...and the resources allocated to Jill Biden's travel to and from J. Caleb Boggs courthouse to intimidate jurors! Trump Admin should seek reimbursement from Biden Family."

"Biden said he'd never pardon the pos, bc he knows he won't have to, he knew the verdict before trial," expressed someone else. 

An individual opined, "I predict a hung jury in the Hunter Biden case. I smell something downright crooked at work. The Biden family owns at least one of the jurors and there's no way there's going to be a guilty verdict even though most of the jurors want one. One of the jurors will quietly be paid."

"Biden family invaded the court, intimidation?" questioned another person. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.