Listen to Story The prosecution laid out its case on Tuesday in the historic criminal trial of Hunter Biden on gun charges, telling jurors that President Joe Biden's son was a drug addict who lied on paperwork to obtain a revolver and that "no one is above the law." Jurors in federal court in Delaware heard opening statements from prosecution and defence lawyers before the first witness, an FBI agent, was called. Defence attorney Abbe Lowell told the jury that evidence presented in the trial will show that Hunter Biden, 54, did not knowingly violate the law.
It is the first trial of the child of a sitting US president, with US District Judge Maryellen Noreika presiding. Donald Trump last week became the first former US president to be convicted of a crime. US Justice Department lawyer Derek Hines walked jurors through the events of October 2018, when prosecutors said Hunter Biden lied on his background check about his drug use while buying the gun.
"It was illegal because he was a user of crack and a drug addict," Hines told the jury. "No one is above the law." Trump is the Republican candidate challenging Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 5 US election.
Neither the prosecution nor the defence directly addressed that issue. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges accusing him of failing to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver and of illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days in October 2018.
Lowell urged .
