Trial of Hunter Biden, Son of U.S. President, Begins

The trial of Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, the President of the United States, has begun in one of the branches of the Delaware state criminal court. This is the first case of a sitting president's child being tried in U.S. history. Hunter Biden has been charged with three federal crimes related to the purchase and possession of a handgun in 2018. He has denied these charges. The President's son is also under investigation in another case in California, where he is accused of tax fraud. Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States and wife of the President, Melissa Cohen Biden, Hunter's wife, and Ashley Biden, his half-sister, attended the court session on Monday, June 4. Joe Biden stated before the trial began, 'Jill and I love our son and are proud of him as a human being.' The U.S. President added that many families have members who have overcome drug addiction. The trial of Joe Biden's son begins four days after Donald Trump's conviction for committing 34 misdemeanors in Manhattan, New York. The final ruling in Mr. Trump's case is expected to be issued on July 11. The former president and Republican candidate in this year's election faces three other criminal cases, the exact dates of which have not yet been announced. Hunter Biden's trial will give Republicans an opportunity to divert public attention from the multiple cases against Donald Trump, the party's candidate, as the presidential election approaches. David Weiss, the special investigator of the U.S. Department of Justice appointed by Donald Trump, accused Hunter Biden of lying about his addiction when purchasing the handgun and possessing it for 11 days in October 2018. He has also accused the President's son of tax fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the formation of a new criminal case against Hunter Biden. If convicted in the case related to the purchase and possession of the firearm, Hunter Biden could face a penalty of up to 25 years in prison, although the Department of Justice states that offenders of such crimes are usually sentenced to lighter penalties. The trial process began with the selection of 12 jurors, and the judge reminded the jurors with explicit questions about the obligation of political neutrality and impartiality regarding drug-related crimes and gun ownership, that despite the defendant's notoriety and the political sensitivities and extensive media coverage of this case, they must avoid any bias. For Hunter Biden to be convicted, all 12 jurors must conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty. It is expected that the main topic of discussion in this trial will be Hunter Biden's long-standing addiction to cocaine, which he has openly discussed and is one of the main subjects of his autobiography published in 2021. Hunter Biden told the judge in the indictment hearing related to this case held last year that he has completely quit drug addiction since mid-2019. The prosecution will attempt to prove that Hunter Biden knowingly lied about his addiction when purchasing the handgun, thus violating federal laws in this regard. Documents submitted by the prosecution to the court suggest that they may use evidence from Hunter Biden's mobile phone memory and other communication devices, including photos of him using cocaine and messages exchanged between him and drug dealers in the trial. The prosecution has indicated that they may also summon Kathleen Buhle, Hunter Biden's ex-wife, as a witness. Ms. Buhle accused Hunter Biden of wasting money on purchasing drugs, alcohol, and sex workers in their 2017 divorce case. In contrast, Hunter Biden's lawyers will likely attempt to prove to the court that their client had completed a full rehabilitation program before purchasing the handgun and that his negative response to the drug addiction question on the gun purchase questionnaire was truthful. Last year, the decision regarding this case did not reach a conclusion based on an out-of-court agreement between the defendant and the prosecution. The judge in the case disagreed with the level of immunity proposed for Hunter Biden. The President's son's lawyers claim that Republican pressures caused the failure of the agreement between the defendant and the prosecution.