Opening arguments will be delivered Tuesday in the Delaware trial of Hunter Biden on gun charges, thus beginning the first prosecution of a sitting U.S. president’s offspring.
Hunter Biden is the only surviving son of President Joe Biden and his trial is anticipated to last two weeks.
The 54-year-old is charged with lying about his illegal drug use when purchasing a handgun in 2018, a felony.
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A 12-member jury with four alternates was seated on Monday for the federal trial being held in the Biden hometown of Wilmington, as Breitbart News reported.
The judge and lawyers for both sides questioned dozens of prospective jurors to determine whether they could be impartial.
It only took a day to find the jury of six men and six women plus four women serving as alternates, who will decide the case. The panel of 12 was chosen out of roughly 65 people. Their names were not made public, AP reports.
Jill Biden and Hunter’s wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, were in attendance.
First lady Jill Biden arrives at federal court, Monday, June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The president did not appear personally but said he and Jill were “proud” of the Yale-trained lawyer and sometime lobbyist-turned-artist.
“As the President, I don’t and won’t comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength,” Biden said in a statement.
As Breitbart News reported, in 2023, Hunter refused to accept a plea deal from prosecutors after negotiations fell apart under judicial scrutiny of a “diversion agreement.”
Okay then. pic.twitter.com/K455C7W9D4
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) June 4, 2024
The original “sweetheart” plea deal gave Hunter the option to plead guilty to not paying taxes on more than $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018, receiving probation rather than jail time.
In addition, Weiss devised a separate diversion agreement that gave Hunter immunity from potential future charges, including a provision to potentially wipe a felony gun violation from his record.
The case is United States v. Hunter Biden, No. 24-1703 in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
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