WILMINGTON, Delaware — Federal prosecutors anticipate finishing their case against Hunter Biden on Friday morning after calling two final witnesses in the first son’s gun trial.
They informed Judge Maryellen Noreika at the end of court on Thursday that the witnesses would be an FBI chemist and a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official.
Prosecutors previously mentioned that the chemist would discuss lab results showing cocaine on a pouch owned by Biden, and the DEA witness would interpret Biden’s text messages about alleged drug transactions for the jury.
Abbe Lowell, the prominent white-collar attorney leading Biden’s defense, stated he plans to call two or three witnesses and expects the defense to rest its case by the end of Monday.
After the defense presents its case, attorneys typically deliver closing statements, the judge then gives jurors instructions, and they begin deliberations. Deliberations can take hours or sometimes days, if needed. At the start of the trial, Noreika estimated it could last up to two weeks, indicating it is roughly on schedule at this stage.
The trial has spanned four days so far, with prosecutors examining eight witnesses, including Biden’s ex-wife, two ex-girlfriends, and the man who sold Biden the gun for which he is now being prosecuted.
Thursday, marking the fourth day of the trial, was the most personal for Biden. Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter Biden’s late brother, Beau, testified about her tumultuous relationship with the first son, stating they became romantically involved around late 2015, shortly after her husband’s death.
She provided a detailed account of Hunter Biden’s crack cocaine usage, stating it became more frequent in 2017 and 2018.
Special counsel David Weiss has alleged Hunter Biden lied on a federal form about his drug use on Oct. 12, 2018, to purchase a revolver and that he then illegally kept the firearm for several days.
Hallie Biden testified that she discovered the gun and ammunition in Hunter Biden’s truck 11 days after he bought it and that she “panicked” and discarded it in a grocery store trash bin. She also mentioned finding crack cocaine residue and drug paraphernalia in the truck alongside the gun.
During cross-examination, Lowell pressed her on specific details about the events of the morning she found the gun, emphasizing that her memory of the morning was unclear. Lowell conceded that it must have been a “traumatic” day for her.
Prosecutors have also heard from gun salesman Gordon Cleveland, Hunter Biden’s former New York girlfriend Zoe Kestan, his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, three law enforcement officials, and an elderly man who said he found the first son’s revolver while collecting recyclables from grocery store trash bins.
Hunter Biden is required to appear in court daily. He has remained attentive throughout the proceedings, with his supporters, including his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, seated behind him. First lady Jill Biden was present for the first three days but was absent Thursday due to D-Day memorial events.
Lowell mentioned that Hunter Biden has not yet decided whether he will testify in his defense, though it is rare for criminal defendants to do so.
