Hunter Biden will not testify in his own defense in his gun trial, his lawyers said Monday, after the defense and prosecution finished testifying.
The defense rested on Monday morning after FBI Special Agent Erica Jensen was called to the stand again to review text messages turned over last week. Hunter Biden’s defense team had called several witnesses on Friday, including his daughter. Naomi BidenBut it took them over the weekend to decide whether to call him to testify in his own defence.
The judge will instruct the jury late Monday morning, with closing arguments scheduled to begin in the afternoon.
Another potential witness, President Biden’s brother, James “Jimmy” Biden, was scheduled to testify on Friday but court adjourned earlier than scheduled, suggesting that prosecutors may call additional witnesses if Hunter Biden testifies.
Hunter Biden is charged with three felony counts stemming from his purchase of a revolver in October 2018. Two of the counts relate to accusations that he lied about his drug use on a federal gun control form, proving that he did not use or was not addicted to any controlled substances during the period that prosecutors say he was addicted to crack cocaine.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Another charge is that Hallie Biden illegally possessed a gun for 11 days before finding it and discarding it. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors wrapped up the trial of President Biden’s only surviving son on Friday with testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhl, his former girlfriend Zoe Kestan and Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother Beau Biden, with whom Hunter Biden had a romantic relationship after his brother’s death in 2015. Gordon Cleveland, who allegedly sold Hunter Biden a gun, also testified.
Harry Biden is The prosecution’s star witness, Testified last week She said she “panicked” when she found the weapon and “just wanted to get rid of” the gun and ammunition.
“I didn’t want my husband to get hurt or my kids to find the gun and get hurt,” she said, adding that she considered hiding the gun but was “scared one of my kids would find it.”
Hallie Biden said Hunter introduced her to crack cocaine after her husband’s death. “It was a terrible experience that I had and I’m embarrassed, ashamed and I regret that time in my life,” she testified.
At the heart of the prosecution’s case is whether Hunter Biden knowingly lied about his drug use. “Drug addiction may not be a choice, but lying to buy a gun is,” prosecutor Derek Hines said in his opening statement.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Cleveland testified that Hunter Biden did not appear to be confused by the paperwork when he sold him the guns in October 2018.
Harry Biden testified that Hunter Biden was using drugs when he bought the gun in October 2018, and prosecutors showed text messages that showed he was “smoking crack cocaine while sleeping in his car.” But Naomi Biden testified that her father “seemed fine” in late October 2018, and said she didn’t see any drug paraphernalia when she borrowed his truck.
Hunter Biden’s drug addiction history is well known and he wrote about it in his memoir, “Beautiful Things,” but Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Lowell, is seeking to question whether he knowingly omitted the information from his disclosure documents. In his opening statement, Lowell said many addicts are in “denial” about their drug use and also argued that Hunter Biden didn’t think he was an addict when he bought his guns.
Naomi Biden testified that she knew her father “struggled with drug addiction” and that “it got worse after my uncle (Beau Biden) died,” but acknowledged that he never used illegal drugs in her presence or that she had never seen him use drugs.
meanwhile President Biden Hunter Biden has not attended the trial, but other members of the Biden family have. First Lady Jill Biden has attended nearly every day except when she accompanied President Biden to France for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. The Bidens’ daughter, Ashley Biden, Hunter Biden’s half-sister, has also attended the trial but became emotional and walked out one day.
