Trial of Hunter Biden, on federal charges

2024-05-24 19:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hunter Biden appeared in a Dellauer County court on Friday for a final hearing before his trial on federal gun charges begins. This development comes as his father, President Joe Biden, is campaigning for re-election.

Hunter Biden is accused of lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form he had to fill out to buy a firearm, which he kept for about 11 days. He admitted that during that period he was addicted to cocaine. His defense attorneys say that Hunter Biden has not broken the law and that the case is politically motivated.

Court documents show the sides' opposing views on evidence presented in the case, including data found on a computer Hunter Biden allegedly left for repair at a Dellauer store.

Defense lawyers question the authenticity of the laptop data, but prosecutors say there is no evidence the data was compromised and that a prolonged court battle over the case would be a waste of time, they say.

The laptop has been a source of controversy for years after suspected Republicans accessed and shared personal data on it.

Prosecutors also plan to show jurors excerpts from Hunter Biden's 2021 memoir, titled "Beautiful Things," in which he detailed his battle with alcohol and drug abuse after his death in 2015. , of his older brother, Beau, from brain cancer at age 46.

Defense attorneys say prosecutors have cherry-picked what interests them from the book and are seeking to include more information of their own choosing as well.

Today's hearing is expected to be the last preliminary hearing before the trial begins with jury selection on June 3.

Hunter Biden also faces federal tax-related charges in Los Angeles and will be tried in the case in September. He is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes over four years while living an "extravagant lifestyle" during a period in which he admitted to struggling with drug addiction. Hunter Biden has since paid back taxes.

Hunter Biden's lawyers have urged, but without success in both cases, that the indictments against him be dropped. They have argued, among other things, that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to indict him, even though they had previously reached a plea deal for their client that later fell through in court. Republicans, including Mr. Trump, have publicly mocked the agreement, calling it very favorable for Hunter Biden.

Mr. Trump, who is running for re-election against the Democratic president, faces his own legal problems. Four criminal cases are pending against him.

The long federal investigation into the president's son appeared to be coming to an end after a plea deal last year, but it fell apart after a judge raised questions about it. Then Hunter Biden was officially charged.

Under the deal, Hunter Biden would serve two years of probation after pleading guilty to tax felony charges. The agreement also stipulated that he would not be prosecuted for weapons charges if he stayed out of trouble./ VOA