lawyer Hunter Biden, who faces three felony charges in connection with the purchase of a revolver in 2018, left open the possibility he could testify next week in his criminal trial, which closed on Friday.
Defense lawyer Abe Lowell said Friday, the fifth day of the trial, that he would decide over the weekend whether to call Biden to the stand as the final witness.
Biden is charged with making a false statement regarding a firearm purchase, making a false statement regarding information required to be kept by federally licensed gun dealers, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance.
Lowell’s decision on whether to call Biden to the stand is expected to be made over the weekend, and he said he would notify special counsel David Weiss’s office once his decision is made.
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President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, left the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, with his wife on Friday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The verdict is expected to be announced when the trial resumes on Monday at approximately 8:15 a.m. ET.
If Biden were to testify next week, direct testimony and cross-examination could take up most of a day, possibly even a full day.
Prosecutors have indicated they may call rebuttal witnesses if Biden testifies, in which case closing arguments and jury instructions are expected as early as Tuesday.
But things could move more quickly if Lowell tells Judge MaryEllen Noreika that Biden won’t testify on Monday. If Biden doesn’t testify, closing statements would likely begin when the court reconvenes on Monday, followed by jury instructions. In that case, the jury could begin deciding as early as after lunch on Monday.
Biden He pleaded not guilty He also pleaded not guilty to a tax-related lawsuit filed by Weiss in federal court in California.
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Attorney Abe Lowell arrives at the federal courthouse on Wednesday for Hunter Biden’s trial. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
The three charges carry a combined maximum prison sentence of 25 years, and each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years probation.
Judge Lowell’s decision on whether to allow Biden to take the stand came after an emotional courtroom session on Friday morning, when Biden’s eldest daughter, Naomi Biden, testified about her father’s struggles with drug addiction.
During cross-examination, Naomi testified that she knew her father had “struggled with drug addiction” in the past, but said she “never saw him use drugs.”
Biden’s legal team has not denied that his eldest son has a drug addiction problem, detailed in his memoir, “Beautiful Things.” Instead, they argue that Biden did not consider himself an illegal drug user at the time of his Oct. 12, 2018, gun purchase.
Photo evidence submitted by the prosecution showed the gun purchased by Hunter Biden. (US Government exhibit)
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Others close to Biden also testified this week, including his ex-wife and Naomi Biden’s mother, Kathleen Buhl, his sister-in-law and girlfriend, Hallie Biden, and Biden’s ex-girlfriend, former stripper Zoe Kestan.
Fox News’ Emma Colton, Jake Gibson and David Spunt contributed to this report.
