WILMINGTON: Prosecutors in the historic criminal trial of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden told jurors on Tuesday that overwhelming evidence shows that the younger Biden lied to hide his drug addiction so he could illegally buy a gun, while the defense said he had no intent to deceive. Jurors in federal court in Delaware heard opening statements by prosecution and defense lawyers in the first trial of a child of a sitting US president before witness testimony began. The prosecution showed jurors text messages in which Hunter Biden arranged drug deals and discussed smoking crack cocaine, including within days of his October 2018 purchase of a Colt Cobra revolver.
They also played excerpts from the audiobook version of his autobiography in which he described his “bloodhound” instinct for finding crack around the time of his gun purchase. Prosecutor Derek Hines said during his opening statement that “the evidence is overwhelming” and written in the defendant’s own words. “Addiction is not a crime.
Lying is,” Hines said. Hunter Biden, 54, has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges accusing him of failing to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought the gun and of illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days. The trial, presided over by US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, began in the aftermath of Donald Trump last week becoming the first former US president to be convicted of a crime.
Trump is the Republican candidate challenging Joe Biden, a Demo.
