Hallie Biden, Hunter Biden’s sister-in-law, testified about discovering a gun and drug paraphernalia in his truck, potentially supporting prosecutors’ claims of his illegal firearm possession while using drugs.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Hunter Biden’s sister-in-law, Hallie Biden, testified at his criminal trial on Thursday, detailing her discovery of his gun and crack cocaine, potentially reinforcing the prosecution’s case that President Joe Biden’s son violated laws prohibiting illegal drug users from owning firearms.
Jurors in the historic trial of the first U.S. president’s son to face criminal charges viewed surveillance footage of Hallie Biden disposing of Hunter Biden’s gun in a supermarket trash can. They also saw text messages where Hallie expressed her concern for Hunter’s life.
“Check yourself into a local rehab Hunter, this has all got to stop,” Hallie Biden texted in October 2018, shortly after Hunter purchased the gun.
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges, including failing to disclose his illegal drug use when purchasing the Colt Cobra revolver and possessing the weapon for 11 days until Hallie Biden disposed of it.
Witnesses, including Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and a former girlfriend, testified this week about his extensive drug use, which he has publicly admitted. The defense argued that Hunter Biden had undergone drug treatment and may have considered himself sober when he bought the gun in October 2018.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell emphasized during opening arguments that there was no intent to deceive by Hunter Biden.
Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau Biden, who passed away from cancer in 2015, provided the first detailed account of Hunter Biden’s behavior while he possessed the gun. She testified about regularly cleaning out his truck to help him get his life back on track, during which she found drug paraphernalia and the gun.
“I panicked and wanted to get rid of it,” she said, explaining her fear that Hunter Biden or her children could accidentally harm themselves with the weapon.
Hallie Biden revealed that she and Hunter began a romantic relationship in late 2015 or early 2016 and that he introduced her to crack cocaine. She became addicted but managed to get clean in August 2018.
“It was a terrible experience I went through, and I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” she testified.
During cross-examination, Lowell attempted to show that Hunter Biden’s statements about his drug use to Hallie couldn’t always be trusted, as he sometimes lied to her.
Hunter Biden previously told a judge in a 2023 hearing that he had been sober since 2019.
Federal prosecutor Derek Hines indicated that the government might call its final witness on Thursday. Hunter Biden and his attorneys have not disclosed whether he will testify in his defense, a risky strategy most defendants avoid due to the potential for tough questioning from prosecutors.
This trial, taking place in Wilmington, Delaware, follows another unprecedented event: last week’s criminal conviction of Donald Trump, marking the first time a U.S. president has been found guilty of a felony. Trump is the Republican contender challenging Joe Biden in the November 5 election.
Joe Biden has been largely absent from the trial’s proceedings, with no political testimony or evidence presented.
If convicted on all charges, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison, although sentences are typically shorter, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
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