Hunter Biden trial: What the prosecution needs to prove about first son's drug use
WASHINGTON, DC: Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is scheduled to go on trial in Delaware on June 3. Prosecutors want to focus on the first son's addiction to crack cocaine and his purchase of a gun, according to Fox News.
Hunter Biden will go on trial for three felonies related to the 2018 purchase of a.38 handgun from a state-run gun store in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden has entered a not-guilty plea to the accusations.
Charges against Hunter Biden
The charges against Hunter include making a false statement while purchasing a firearm, making a false statement about information that a federal firearms license dealer is supposed to keep, and possessing a firearm while using or dependent on a controlled substance.
The maximum sentence for all of the offenses combined maybe 25 years in jail. A maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release apply to each count.
Biden's battles with addiction are well-known and the most notable battle is his addiction to crack cocaine. However, Hunter has now entered treatment and has not used drugs or alcohol since 2019.
Allegations made against Hunter Biden by the prosecutors
It is said that Biden bought a Colt revolver in October 2018 from Wilmington's StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply. Yet, the legal team argues that Biden was dishonest on a form he completed to acquire the pistol, stating that he was hooked on drugs. When questioned about his drug addiction or his use of firearms in an unlawful manner, Biden marked 'No' on the survey.
Prosecutors are trying to convince the jury that Biden filled out the form and purposefully provided false information about the two offenses and that he did so because he thought he wouldn't be able to buy the pistol otherwise.
Moreover, prosecutors have to show that Biden was either a drug addict or an illegal firearm user, and that he knew he had the handgun about the third accusation, which concerns his possession of a firearm while allegedly addicted to narcotics.
Before his father's second election matchup with former President Trump, Hunter said to Axios earlier this year, "Maybe it's the ultimate test for a recovering addict – I don't know." He said, "I have always been in awe of people who have stayed clean and sober through tragedies and obstacles few people ever face. They are my heroes, my inspiration."
The jury selection process for the trial will begin on Monday. US Attorney David Weiss, who is acting as special counsel in the case, has come under fire from Lowell for what he claims is a case that "selectively charged" Biden for political reasons.
Following strong encouragement from the two Democratic senators from the state, Chris Coons and Tom Carper, Weiss was nominated by former President Trump to be the US attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. After taking over the White House, Biden kept him in the role. He was President Barack Obama's temporary US attorney as well.
