Closing arguments begin in Hunter Biden’s historic criminal trial

Closing arguments began Monday in the federal gun case against Hunter Biden as the first criminal trial of the son of a sitting president nears an end.

The development comes after Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell rested his case in the morning without calling his client to the stand. Lowell had said on Friday a decision would be made about whether his client would testify over the weekend.

Hunter Biden is charged in federal court in Wilmington with three felony counts tied to possession of a gun while using narcotics, and had pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors contend Hunter Biden lied when he filled out a federal form to buy the gun in October of 2018 and represented that he was not a drug user or addict. Lowell has suggested that his client didn’t “knowingly” mislead anyone because he didn’t consider himself a drug addict or drug user at the time.

Lowell rested his case at around 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prosecutors then called back to the stand FBI special agent Erika Jensen for a brief rebuttal testimony. Jensen was the first witness prosecutors called in the case, and testified about information found on Hunter Biden’s computer, phone and tablet.

She was asked Monday about messages Hunter Biden sent Hallie Biden in the time period around the gun purchase, including one where he indicated he was meeting a drug dealer. Lowell had suggested his client was lying about his location because he didn’t want to see Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother Beau. Jensen testified that geolocation data indicated Hunter Biden was physically in the areas where he told Hallie Biden he was.

Hallie Biden was involved in a romantic relationship with Hunter Biden around the time he bought the gun — years after her husband’s death — and she testified last week about throwing the weapon out after she discovered it in his car.

After Jensen finished testifying, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika read her instructions to the jurors about what they’ll need to consider when they begin deliberating. Closing arguments will begin in the early afternoon after the jurors take a brief lunch break. Prosecutors will present their arguments first.

The trial began on June 3, just days after former President Donald Trump, who’s facing off against President Joe Biden, was convicted in New York state court of falsifying business records.

First lady Jill Biden and the president’s brother James Biden were both in court on Monday. Jill Biden has attended several days of the trial.