WILMINGTON, Del. – Opening statements begin Tuesday morning in the federal criminal trial of Hunter Biden.
Opening statements are expected to begin shortly after 9 a.m. ET, with prosecutors from Special Counsel David Weiss’ office expected to present their case against President Joe Biden‘s son in federal court in Wilmington, the largest city in the family’s home state of Delaware.
Hunter Biden is charged with three counts related to possession of a firearm while taking narcotics. Two of the charges accuse him of filling out a form proving he was not using illegal drugs when he purchased a Colt Cobra revolver on Oct. 12, 2018. The third charge alleges he possessed a firearm while taking a narcotic.
The indictment stated that Biden declared on a federally required form “that he was not an unlawful user of and addicted to stimulants, narcotics and other controlled substances, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious.” .”
He has pleaded not guilty.
A jury of 12 — six men and six women — and four alternates were chosen Monday from a pool of more than 60 potential jurors. He was joined in court by first lady Jill Biden, who turned 73 on Monday. She sat next to Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, in the audience. It is unclear whether the first lady will appear in court again on Tuesday.
A source familiar with the situation said he expects “a steady stream of Biden’s family and friends” to be present during the trial.
At least 15 people on the jury said they have family members, significant others or close friends with substance abuse problems, including four who were ultimately selected. A source close to the president and first lady said they appreciated the many people affected by addiction or substance abuse and that they have long felt that people understand the complexity of that dynamic and have seen it in court.
Testimony will begin after Biden’s attorney makes his opening statement.
Prosecutors said their first witness will be FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen. According to a government court filing, Jensen will introduce some of prosecutors’ evidence, including text messages showing Biden using crack in the months before and after purchasing the gun.
Among the messages prosecutors plan to introduce is one from the day after the purchase, in which he messaged someone saying he was “waiting for a dealer.” They also plan to introduce one from October 14, 2018, in which he allegedly wrote: “I slept on a smoking car.”
Jensen will also “introduce the defendant’s confessions in his book/audiobook, as well as other evidence included in the government’s exhibit list.”
Prosecutors say they plan to call about a dozen witnesses. They include Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, and Hallie Olivere Biden, the widow of his late brother Beau.
Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has said he wants to call the gun shop owner as a witness and two to three expert witnesses. Weiss’ office has disputed the testimony of some experts.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
