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Hunter Biden trial goes to jury after closing arguments
Hunter Biden is currently standing trial for allegedly purchasing and possessing a firearm illegally in late 2018, and the case has now gone to the jury after both sides made closing arguments on Monday.Closing argumentsIn its closing arguments, the prosecution claimed that at the time Biden purchased a Colt revolver from the StarQuest Shooters in Wilmington, Delaware, he was an "habitual" drug "addict" who "had lost control." Prosecutor Leo Wise told the jury that evidence of Biden's crack addiction in the months before and after he purchased the gun on October 12, 2018, was "personal," "ugly," and "overwhelming." Furthermore, the prosecution claimed it didn't have to prove that Biden had used illegal drugs on the date the gun was purchased to demonstrate that he was an addict at the time, a key argument of the defense.Lowell argued that the excerpts of the audiobook were meant to 'blur' Biden's state of mind at the time he purchased the gun with other instances of drug use to which he admitted 'after the fact.' "The defendant knew he used crack and was addicted to crack at the relevant time period," Wise added."You can convict on those facts alone."Wise also instructed the jury not to be swayed by the high-profile people, including first lady Jill Biden, sitting in the courtroom gallery to support Biden."People sitting in the gallery are not evidence," he said. "You may recognize them from the news, … but respectfully, none of that matters."For its part, the defense has attempted to separate Biden's well-documented drug use in the months leading up to October 2018 from his behavior and state of mind between October 12, when the gun was purchased, until October 23, when Hallie Biden — the widow of Biden's brother, Beau, who became romantically involved with Hunter Biden following Beau's death in 2015 — threw the gun away.Defense attorney Abbe Lowell noted in closing arguments that none of the prosecution's witnesses had personally seen "actual drug use" from Biden that month. Gordon Cleveland, the former StarQuest Shooters employee who sold Biden the weapon, also did not sense that Biden was under the influence that day, Lowell said.Lowell slammed prosecutors for playing an audiobook version of Biden's memoir, "Beautiful Things," narrated by Biden."They spent hours, I mean literally hours, recounting Hunter Biden’s terrible journey with alcohol and drug use," Lowell claimed. Lowell argued that the excerpts of the audiobook were meant to "blur" in the minds of the jury Biden's state of mind at the time he purchased the gun with other instances of drug use to which he admitted "after the fact." Lowell described this legal strategy as a kind of "magician's trick": "Watch this hand, pay no attention to the other one."Finally, Lowell insisted that all the accusations from prosecutors and their witnesses were based on "suspicion" and "conjecture." "With this very high burden, it’s time to end this case," he told the jury, calling for an acquittal.Anything else?The defense was expected to call President Joe Biden's brother, James Biden, to the stand on Monday but did not do so. Hunter Biden also didn't take the stand in his own defense.Prosecutors did call FBI special agent Erika Jensen back to the stand to testify to text messages Biden allegedly exchanged to arrange drug deals at 7-Eleven convenience stores in and around the time of the gun purchase.`"It’s Q. I’m at 7-11 now," someone wrote to Biden on October 11. Biden allegedly replied, "Meet me at 7-11 at 3."The defense had previously dismissed another text message Biden sent to Hallie Biden, appearing to reference a meeting with a drug dealer named "Mookie," as Blaze News previously reported. The defense claimed Biden had made up the meeting with the drug dealer to avoid seeing Hallie.Finally, Judge Maryellen Noreika denied a motion from the defense to add language favorable to Biden in her jury instructions. Specifically, the defense wanted Noreika to reiterate the word "knowledge" and further explicate the phrase "reasonable doubt," but she declined.The case went to the jury sometime during the afternoon on Monday. How long they may have deliberated before recessing for the night is unclear.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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