Hunter Biden, son of the US president, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges against him over the 2018 gun purchase when he lied by denying drug use, although he later admitted to struggling with addiction.
This was Hunter Biden’s first appearance before a judge since he was charged on September 14 with three counts of illegally purchasing and possessing weapons, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
However, the penalty is generally lower for those who, as in this case, have no criminal record.
The appearance of President Joe Biden’s son, which lasted about half an hour, took place in a federal court in the center of the city of Wilmington, in the state of Delaware, arriving surrounded by journalists, spotlights and television cameras, as well as a powerful security apparatus .
A brief hearing took place at the courthouse, where Judge Christopher Burke made sure Hunter Biden understood his rights and the crimes he is accused of. The magistrate later allowed Hunter Biden to plead guilty or not guilty.
The judge also read Hunter Biden the conditions under which he will be placed on probation while the trial takes place, including remaining under the supervision of a law enforcement officer, actively seeking employment, not having any weapons in his possession or consuming drugs or alcohol.
Hunter Biden’s team of lawyers requested that he appear via video conference to spare the US government the cost of travel.
President Biden’s son, always accompanied by Secret Service agents (a unit that protects American presidential leaders and their families), must travel from his home in the state of California to Delaware, across the country.
However, the judge ruled that Hunter Biden should not receive “special treatment” and ordered him to appear in person.
Hunter Biden is accused of lying on a form he was asked to fill out when he bought a Colt Cobra .38 caliber revolver from a store in Wilmington in October 2018.
Specifically, he faces two charges of making false statements: the first for indicating on a form that he was not addicted to drugs, and the second for giving that information to the store knowing it was false .
A third charge stems from the fact that he kept that gun in his possession for eleven days, even though he knew he was addicted to drugs.
However, the indictment made no mention of the other crime for which he was also being investigated: irregular tax filings.
Hunter Biden, 53, publicly acknowledged that he struggled for decades with alcohol and drug addiction, which worsened after the 2015 death of his brother, Beau Biden, from a brain tumor.
When he bought the gun in 2018, Hunter Biden was going through a state of depression following his divorce from Kathleen Buhle, with whom he had three children.
At the same time, Hunter Biden was addicted to crack, a situation he reported in his memoir “Beautiful Things,” published in 2021.
The allegations against Hunter Biden stem from an investigation opened in 2018 during Donald Trump’s administration (2017-2021) that the former president himself – now a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination – used to attack Joe Biden, with who he may face again in the 2024 Vote.
The investigation, which has been going on for five years, led to an agreement this year between Hunter Biden’s defense and the prosecution team led by Trump-appointed prosecutor David Weiss, which could have put an end to the legal drama.
However, that pact fell apart and now Hunter Biden faces a trial that will likely come in the middle of his father’s campaign for next year’s presidential election.
This lawsuit is developing in parallel with another political fight Joe Biden is facing in Congress.
The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has opened an impeachment inquiry against Biden, who is accused of using his political influence to benefit his son Hunter’s foreign activities, something repeatedly refuted by the White House.
Source: DN
