Right before jury selection for Hunter Biden’s gun trial, federal Judge Maryellen Noreika unleashed a double whammy on Hunter Biden’s defense just before jury selection, leaving them scrambling for a Plan B. These setbacks could significantly impact Hunter Biden’s already challenging legal battle, where he faces charges of illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm while struggling with substance abuse.
Biden’s son, Hunter, is set to face trial on federal charges of unlawfully possessing a firearm. The allegations stem from accusations that he misrepresented his drug use status when acquiring a pistol in 2018. Hunter will make history as the first child of a sitting U.S. president to undergo criminal proceedings.
Judge Noreika’s rulings resolved lingering disputes just before the trial’s commencement, potentially complicating Hunter Biden’s defense strategy. Noreika sided with special counsel David Weiss, granting a request to bar one of Hunter Biden’s expert witnesses from testifying. A psychiatrist affiliated with Columbia University, who specializes in addiction treatments, was brought in as a witness to dispute the prosecution’s assertions regarding Hunter Biden’s state of awareness about his addiction at the time of purchasing the gun in 2018.
The psychiatrist had been geared up to dismantle the prosecution’s argument that Hunter Biden was fully aware of his addiction issues when he made that fateful firearm purchase back in 2018. However, with the witness blocked, it seems the defense lost a key player before the trial even started.
In her ruling, Noreika emphasized the deficiency in the defense’s expert disclosure, which left the government uninformed about the witnesses’ opinions and impaired their trial preparation.
And if that wasn’t enough, Judge Noreika dropped another bombshell, nixing the defense’s ace in the hole: an altered version of the federal firearms form. The judge rejected the defense’s attempt to introduce a modified version of the federal firearms form filled out by Hunter Biden in 2018. This document, supposedly tampered with by gun store employees in 2021, was supposed to be the smoking gun (pun intended) to prove bias within the prosecution.
Biden’s legal team even suggested that the gun shop owner’s previous Republican affiliations should be disclosed to the jury. But Noreika wasn’t having any of it, calling the altered form “irrelevant and inadmissible” and slamming the defense for its “conspiratorial” theatrics and unsupported claims about the employees’ motivations. She emphasized the danger of unfair prejudice and confusion posed by the modified form, insisting that only the original ATF Form 4473 would be presented to the jury.
This original form alleges that Hunter Biden falsely declared his drug-free status to purchase the firearm. At the same time, prosecutors argue that he was still grappling with addiction, as outlined in his memoir.
Judge Noreika made waves in legal circles when she raised an eyebrow at the seemingly sweet plea deal offered to Hunter Biden. Critics, particularly Republicans, cried foul, decrying the now-defunct plea deal as yet another case of special treatment for a member of the Democratic elite. Despite facing federal charges, Hunter has adamantly maintained his innocence, alleging that the Justice Department is unfairly singling him out.
This Monday marked a pivotal moment in the federal gun case against Hunter Biden as a jury was finally seated. Prospective panelists underwent rigorous questioning, delving into their views on gun rights and drug addiction. Adding to the courtroom drama, the first lady herself observed from the front row. The jury comprises twelve members – six men and six women – with an additional four women serving as alternates. This ensures a diverse and attentive pool of individuals ready to weigh in on this high-profile trial.
