Hunter Biden trial prosecutors stir debate as they claim charges don’t concern his drug use but his ‘lies’

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE: The opening statements in the federal gun trial of First Son Hunter Biden concluded on Tuesday, June 4.

The 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden is facing three felony charges related to whether he lied about his addiction to crack cocaine while applying to purchase a firearm six years ago. Hunter Biden has entered a plea of not guilty, per Yahoo News.

Prosecutors contend that Hunter Biden fraudulently declared on the application that he did not take drugs and illegally possessed the firearm for 11 days.

If found guilty of all three charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000.

Jury selection was completed on Monday, June 3, with 12 jurors and four alternates selected after being questioned about their connections to individuals dealing with addiction issues.

Prosecutors claim their case against Hunter Biden has nothing to do with drug addiction or family name

Prosecutor Derek Hines addressed the jury at the start of the proceedings that Hunter Biden is on trial for failing to mention his drug use in a gun purchase application, not for being a drug addict or for being the son of the current President of the United States.

“We’re here because of the defendant’s lies and choices,” Hines stated. "Nobody is allowed to lie, not even Hunter Biden.”

“Addiction may not be a choice, but lying and buying a gun is a choice,” the prosecutor asserted. “We would not be here today if he was just a drug addict.”

During the course of the trial proceedings, an image of Hunter Biden's Colt revolver and the "hollow-point" bullets acquired by him in 2018 was presented to the jury.

Hunter Biden's legal representatives, through court submissions, asserted that he did not utilize or load the firearm during the 11 days in his possession before it was discarded by his then-girlfriend, Hailie Biden.

Furthermore, excerpts from an audiobook authored by Hunter Biden for his 2021 memoir, ‘Beautiful Things,’ were played for the jury. In the audiobook, he candidly discussed his struggle with crack cocaine addiction.

Hunter Biden did not wilfully violate law, says defense lawyer

In his opening statement, defense attorney Abbe Lowell contended that Hunter Biden did not intentionally contravene the law by failing to mention his drug use on the firearm application.

Lowell informed the jury that Biden removed the gun from a secured box only once during the 11 days between its purchase and the time his girlfriend discarded it in the trash.

Subsequently, Hunter Biden informed law enforcement that he procured the firearm for target practice but had not yet fired it.

“The gun was never loaded. It was never carried around,” the defense lawyer claimed.

Lowell also added that Hunter Biden struggled with addiction “like literally millions of people in this country".

Who was the prosecution's first witness?

Following the opening statements of the federal gun trial involving Hunter Biden, the prosecution called their first witness, Erika Jensen, an FBI special agent.

Jensen testified regarding her knowledge of the timeline of Hunter Biden's alleged drug abuse spanning from 2015 to 2019.

While on the stand, the prosecution played audio excerpts from Hunter Biden's memoir, where he detailed a four-year addiction to crack cocaine.

Additionally, the prosecution presented video footage of Hunter Biden holding what seemed to be a crack pipe.

The prosecution claims that Hunter Biden was aware of his addiction despite stating otherwise in his federal gun application in 2018.

However, during cross-examination by the defense, Jensen conceded that Hunter Biden may not have been abusing drugs throughout the entire four-year period she was testifying about.

“I didn’t get the sense it was the entire period,” Jensen stated.

Jensen is expected to resume her testimony when the court reconvenes on Wednesday, June 5.

Internet reacts to prosecution's claims in Hunter Biden gun trial

People shared their reactions and opinions online about Day 1 of Hunter Biden's felony gun trial.

One person remarked, "Soft walking this prosecution. Just going through the motions to say they did something. The same weak trial will happen here in Cali for the Tax."

Another person said, "It's not about drug addiction. It's about lying on a federal firearm transfer form 4473 on question 11E. At the top of this from it states it is a felony to lie or to answer untruthfully. Hunter you're guilty as charge(d)."

Another person claimed, "Daddy said, nobody is above the law. If he gets away with lying on a gun application, the whole gun law movement will look like a sham. They had better get this right because other criminals will be paying attention."

One person asked, "So just because he never used the gun, that makes it OK?"

Another person argued, "The form asked if the applicant was using drugs at the time of purchase, not in the past. Nothing burger."

A comment r, "I'm glad all these firearm owners are now willing to submit to drug tests to own their guns. Let's amend the 2A. A lot of people going to jail if this law was actually enforced to any degree."

Finally, this person commented, "Who cares if the gun was never loaded and he didn't carry it around. He LIED on his application. That's against the law."

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.