Many of the struggles faced by the Biden family members are shared by the jurors who will decide the fate of the president’s son, who are sitting in a Wilmington, Delaware courtroom on Monday to begin Hunter Biden’s gun trial. Hunter Biden, a former heroin addict, is a defendant in a case where he is charged with possessing an illegal firearm and making false statements. He got remarried after divorcing. He has had firsthand experience with death, having lost his brother to a brain tumor in 2015.
- Hunter Biden is also the president’s son, a fact that was hard to overlook given how frequently jurors mentioned Biden family members during jury selection or cryptically admitted that, yes, they had previously contributed to a political campaign, but it had been to the “Hunter Biden.”
- As dozens of prospective jurors poured into U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika’s court during an occasionally taxing selection process, Biden sat straight, peering behind peach-colored eyeglasses. Abbe Lowell, lead attorney for Hunter, kindly inquired after noon, “Are we thinking, I forget if there was supposed to be a lunch break today or not?” regarding the schedule.
- Behind him sat not just the lawyers, journalists, and illustrators that usually pack the courtroom during high-profile cases, but first lady Jill Biden as well, giving her son, his half-sister, and even his son-in-law hugs.
- The president’s son might spend up to 25 years in prison in this historic case, making for an engrossing moment. The first lady called the accusations “cruel” during this year’s MSNBC interview. Directly behind her son, she watched the proceedings with great interest and provided encouragement to him as well as other family members. “Hunter Biden”
- She shook her head occasionally, as she did when a prospective juror who had previously been a police officer recalled following the case in the news. The wife of Hunter, Melissa Cohen Biden, was occasionally embraced by the first lady as well.
At the end of the day, Cohen Biden whispered to the defense team, “We’ll be here tomorrow.”
What you missed on Day 1 of Hunter Biden’s trial is listed below:
Jurors sworn in
- Dozens of prospective jurors occupied the seats in Noreika’s courtroom as voir dire got underway on Monday morning. By the time it was over, six men, six women, and four alternates had been sworn in as members of the jury. Among the group were gun owners, those with firsthand experience with addiction, and an Obama supporter.
- The jurors are prohibited from doing any study on the case or discussing it with others. They claimed to obtain their news from a variety of sources, including broadcast, cable, and even YouTube. One juror who was impaneled said she found out the trial will start early on Monday while traveling to the courthouse from her father.
- Noreika warned the panel that during the trial, “even foreign governments” would try to “influence” or “persuade” them, so they should disregard targeted adverts, or pop-up ads, while using the internet.
- Lowell questioned jurors about their personal opinions on guns during the selection process, probing whether they thought it was right for drug or alcohol addicts to ever possess a firearm. In addition, Lowell tried to find out exactly what those who claimed to know something about the case knew and where they learned it.
- They were questioned about whether they had gone through background checks if they or family members had bought guns. In connection with his gun purchase, Biden is charged with three felonies, failing to disclose his drug use.
A prospective juror became irritable as she related how she found out last year that “there was supposed to be a deal” in the case, but “the judge didn’t accept the deal.” Lowell attempted to strike her for cause, implying that she was vacillating about her ability to be objective.
“People get heartburn when you say you think you could be fair and impartial,” Lowell remarked. “I know she said, ‘I guess,’ and then corrected herself afterward.”
Another prospective juror, who pledged to be unbiased, stated that she thought the FBI and Justice Department of the United States had pursued politically charged cases, including ones involving former President Donald Trump. She brought up the so-called Steele dossier and Trump’s recent conviction in a New York hush money case. That individual was not selected.
Conclusion of Hunter Biden: The Biden family appears
- A sizable group of supporters and allies were prepared to envelop and shield Biden before he entered the courtroom on Monday. Ashley, Hunter’s half-sister, and Kevin Morris, an entertainment attorney who is assisting with Biden’s legal bills, arrived first.
- Biden’s son-in-law, Peter Neal, traded notes with Morris on a legal pad. Morris was observed jotting down notes on sticky notes, which he gave to the defense. Also, Biden’s brother-in-law, Jack Owens was correctly identified by a prospective juror who worked at a bar that Owens, who is the brother of Joe Biden’s sister Valerie, frequently visited in neighboring Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
- Among the group’s members was Richard “Mouse” Smith, the president of Delaware’s NAACP branch and a close friend of Joe Biden’s. During a lull in the morning’s events, Smith, who has known the president since they first met at a Delaware pool as adolescents, gave Hunter Biden a hug.
- Expect a “steady stream” of friends and family to attend the trial, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. “Hunter Biden”
- The special counsel chosen by Trump, David Weiss, was also present. He entered the courtroom following the first break and remained there until the conclusion. He studied the space, glancing up at the jury or the media or the ceiling. “Hunter Biden”
- The contrast with Trump, whose well-known attorneys and assistants crowded the courtroom behind him during his hush money trial in New York last month, was hard to overlook. It took several days for Trump’s family members to appear in the courtroom of Judge Juan Merchan, the person presiding over that case. His wife, Melania Trump, never showed up.
