WILMINGTON, Del. – First Son Hunter Biden’s criminal trial begins During jury selection in Delaware on Monday, it was revealed that most of the potential jurors have been personally affected by drug addiction in their family or social circles.
“This is Delaware. You can’t turn a cat around without hearing something (about the case),” one potential male juror told the court Monday.
President Biden’s sonHunter Biden is facing three felony firearms offenses in connection with the purchase of a .38 revolver from a gun store in the state in 2018. Prosecutors are expected to investigate the first son’s crack cocaine addiction in relation to the purchase of the handgun during the case.
Biden has denied the allegations.
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Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden leave the courthouse after jury selection in his illegal gun possession trial on June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (Ryan Collard/AFP via Getty Images)
On Monday, the court heard from more than 60 potential jurors who appeared in person before the court after filling out questionnaires about whether they could serve as impartial jurors in the case. As of Monday afternoon, 12 jurors and four alternates were selected from the pool.
The main group of jurors is made up of six men and six women.
Jury selection lasted all day, with most potential jurors telling the court they had experienced it personally. through addiction issues Their friends and family. Many jurors, regardless of their racial background, gender or age, responded that they had a relative who struggled with drug addiction or alcohol addiction.
Hunter Biden’s criminal trial on federal gun charges begins with jury selection
Presiding Judge Maryellen Noreika asked jurors one by one if their loved ones’ addiction problems would impact their ability to fairly evaluate the case.
First Lady Jill Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court on June 3, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
One young woman told the court that in addition to having some family members struggling with addiction, she had also lost several friends to drug overdoses: “This is that area.”
Others told the court that their loved ones had overcome their addiction problems by attending rehabilitation centres, while others lamented that their immediate family members were still suffering from addiction.
Prosecutors in the case allege that in October 2018, Biden visited StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington to purchase a Colt revolver, but He says he lied about his drug addiction When he filled out a form to purchase a gun for federal authorities, Biden marked “no” on his form when asked if he used a gun illegally or was addicted to controlled substances.
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He is charged with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, making a false statement relating to information required to be maintained by a federal firearms licensed dealer, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.
The charges carry a maximum prison term of up to 25 years. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
Hunter Biden also attended First Lady Jill Biden Also included are his wife Melissa Cohen and his sister Ashley Biden.
Ashley Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court on June 3, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Jill Biden showed little emotion during the court proceedings, smiling and interacting only when speaking to family members, such as daughter-in-law Melissa, or other aides who joined her in court. The first lady rarely glanced at the media or potential jurors when they were brought into the courtroom en masse.
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Meanwhile, Hunter Biden was seen interacting with his defense team throughout the day, flipping through legal papers and chatting with attorney Abbe Lowell. During a court break, Hunter Biden hugged and kissed Jill Biden and held his wife’s hand as he left the courthouse.
First Lady Jill Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court on June 3, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Several jurors told the court how drug addiction has affected their personal lives, and others reported that they have family members or loved ones who own firearms. Some jurors told the court that they legally carry concealed weapons for self-defense purposes, while others said they disagree with current gun laws and hope to see stricter gun laws against so-called “assault weapons.”
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Noreika asked potential jurors a series of questions about their views On gun laws Influence them to evaluate the matter objectively. Those who said they could not act objectively were eliminated from the pool.
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Hunter Biden arrives at federal court on June 3, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Being assigned the case surprised many potential jurors, who repeatedly said they were aware Hunter Biden was on trial. Keep in mind that Delaware is a small stateBut he didn’t know his jury duty request was related to the case.
After jury selection, the trial will begin with opening arguments on Tuesday. Prosecutors said at the end of the day that their first witness would be FBI Special Agent Erica Jensen.
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Biden is also facing a criminal tax trial in California, which will begin in September, after he was charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors in connection with $1.4 million in unpaid taxes. Biden pleaded not guilty in that case and has since paid the taxes.
