Hunter Biden's ex-wife and other family members are expected to take the stand in his gun trial

WILMINGTON, Delaware -- Federal prosecutors successful Hunter Biden's weapon proceedings person spent hours showing jurors grounds of his cause problem, seeking to uncover done his ain words and penning the extent of his addiction to amusement it was inactive going connected when, they say, helium lied connected a signifier to bargain a firearm.

Testimony was expected to proceed Wednesday. Hunter Biden's ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, is expected to beryllium among the witnesses. She was joined to President Joe Biden's lad for astir 20 years. They person 3 children, divorcing successful 2016 aft his infidelity and cause maltreatment became excessively overmuch to overcome, according to her memoir, "If We Break," astir the dissolution of their marriage.

Buhle is among respective Biden household members and friends expected to attest successful a proceedings that has rapidly go a highly idiosyncratic and elaborate circuit of Hunter Biden's mistakes and cause usage arsenic the 2024 statesmanlike predetermination looms and allies interest astir the toll it volition instrumentality connected the president, who is profoundly acrophobic astir the wellness and sustained sobriety of his lone surviving son. Prosecutors reason the grounds is indispensable to amusement Hunter Biden's authorities of caput erstwhile helium bought the gun.

Hunter Biden has been charged with 3 felonies stemming from the acquisition of a weapon successful October 2018, accused of lying to a federally licensed weapon dealer, making a mendacious assertion connected the exertion by saying helium was not a cause idiosyncratic and illegally having the weapon for 11 days.

"No 1 is allowed to prevarication connected a national signifier similar that, adjacent Hunter Biden," authoritative Derek Hines told jurors connected Tuesday. "He crossed the enactment erstwhile helium chose to bargain a weapon and lied astir a national inheritance cheque ... the defendant's prime to bargain a weapon is wherefore we are here."

"When the suspect filled retired that form, helium knew helium was a cause addict," and prosecutors don't person to beryllium helium was utilizing the time helium purchased the firearm, Hines said.

First woman Jill Biden and her daughter, Ashley Biden, sat successful the courtroom for overmuch of Tuesday. Hunter Biden's lawyer argued that his lawsuit did not judge helium was successful the throes of addiction erstwhile helium stated successful the paperwork that helium did not person a cause problem. In the abbreviated clip that helium had the gun, helium did thing with it, and the limb was ne'er adjacent loaded, lawyer Abbe Lowell said successful his opening statement.

"You volition spot that helium is not guilty," Lowell said.

Lowell said the signifier asks whether you "are" a cause user. "It does not accidental 'have you ever been,'" and helium suggested the president's lad did not deliberation of himself arsenic idiosyncratic with a cause occupation erstwhile helium purchased the gun.

His authorities of caput should beryllium considered astatine the clip of the purchase, not aboriginal on, when, aft helium got sober, helium wrote a memoir "Beautiful Things," astir immoderate of his darkest moments. The assemblage heard lengthy audio excerpts from the publication that traces his descent pursuing the decease of his brother, Beau Biden, successful 2015 from cancer.

The Delaware proceedings comes aft the illness of a plea woody with prosecutors that would person resolved the weapon lawsuit and a abstracted California taxation lawsuit and avoided the spectacle of a trial. Hunter Biden has since pleaded not blameworthy and has said he's being unfairly targeted by the Justice Department, aft Republicans slammed the now-defunct plea statement arsenic a sweetheart woody for the Democratic president's son.

The 12-person sheet heard opening statements Tuesday and grounds from an FBI cause who work aloud immoderate of Hunter Biden's idiosyncratic messages including immoderate that came from a laptop helium near astatine a Delaware repair store and ne'er retrieved. In 2020, the contents made their mode to Republicans and were publically leaked, revealing immoderate highly idiosyncratic messages astir his enactment and his life. He has since sued implicit the leaked information.

In 1 speech with Beau Biden's widow, Hallie Biden, connected the time aft helium bought the gun, she wrote: "I called you 500 times successful past 24 hours." Hunter replied little than a infinitesimal later, informing her that helium was "sleeping connected a car smoking ace connected 4th thoroughfare and Rodney."

"There's my truth," helium added successful a follow-up text.

But during cross-examination, the FBI cause testified that Hunter Biden sent less messages astir seeking drugs successful October 2018, astir the clip erstwhile helium purchased the gun, than successful February 2019, a aboriginal play successful which Lowell described his lawsuit arsenic struggling importantly with addiction.

Lowell besides called into question the receipts for a rehab facility, asking whether the cause knew whether helium had been treated for drugs oregon alcohol. She said she could not.

His sister Ashley Biden, watching from the courtroom, dabbed astatine her eyes with a insubstantial and yet left.

Attorneys said jurors would perceive grounds from the president's member James Biden, who is adjacent with Hunter and helped his nephew done rehab stints successful the past. They volition besides perceive however Hallie Biden became addicted to ace during a little narration with Hunter.

Hallie took the weapon from Hunter and tossed it into the garbage astatine a adjacent market, acrophobic of what helium mightiness bash with it. The limb was aboriginal recovered by idiosyncratic collecting cans and yet turned implicit to police.

If convicted, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years successful prison, though first-time offenders bash not get anyplace adjacent the maximum, and it's unclear whether the justice would springiness him clip down bars.

The proceedings is unfolding soon aft Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican statesmanlike nominee, was convicted of 34 felonies successful New York City. The 2 transgression cases are unrelated, but their proximity underscores however the courts person taken halfway signifier during the 2024 campaign.

Hunter Biden besides faces a proceedings successful California successful September connected charges of failing to wage $1.4 cardinal successful taxes. Both cases were to person been resolved done the woody with prosecutors past July, the culmination of a yearslong probe into his concern dealings.

But Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was nominated to the seat by Trump, questioned immoderate antithetic aspects of the deal. The lawyers could not travel to a solution connected her questions, and the woody fell apart. Attorney General Merrick Garland past appointed a erstwhile U.S. lawyer for Delaware David Weiss, arsenic a peculiar counsel successful August, and a period aboriginal Hunter Biden was indicted.