After five years and one month, a Delaware federal judge ruled that evidence of Hunter Biden’s illegal drug use taken from his laptops, iPhone, iPad, and memoir could be shown to jurors at his upcoming trial on weapons charges. The laptop, which has been dubbed the “laptop from hell,” will not be barred from the trial despite claims that it had been hacked and seeded with false information. However, Hunter’s attorneys can object to the introduction of specific information from the laptop during the trial, which is set to begin with jury selection on June 3. This ruling is expected to lead to disputes between prosecutors and the defense and could potentially prolong the case beyond its intended duration.
The contents of Hunter Biden’s laptops, which include evidence of influence-peddling, illegal foreign lobbying, drug use, and prostitution, were first reported in October 2020. Despite efforts by big tech companies to suppress the sharing of this information and claims that it was Russian disinformation, an IRS whistleblower has confirmed the authenticity of the laptop and its contents. Hunter is accused of three counts related to illegal gun ownership while addicted to crack cocaine and could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Prosecutors need to prove that Hunter Biden was using crack cocaine around the time he purchased a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver in October 2018, but they do not have to demonstrate drug use on the day of purchase. Evidence of Hunter’s drug use can be introduced through records from his iPhone and iPad, as well as excerpts from his memoir that describe his addiction. Furthermore, the defense’s request to keep certain salacious evidence out of the case has been denied by the judge.
Hunter’s pending trial in Southern California on tax evasion charges, his Arkansas child support case, and his 2014 discharge from the US Navy Reserve after failing a cocaine test cannot be mentioned in front of the jury. However, the defense may introduce wider selections of Hunter’s memoir to provide more context. The judge has not yet determined whether to allow an altered version of the gun purchase form filled out by Hunter Biden into the trial, as the defense claims the form was changed significantly after the sale.
Hunter is set to stand trial in Los Angeles in September on charges related to failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes for the years 2016 through 2019. Prosecutors allege that he spent this money on a lavish lifestyle that included drugs, escorts, luxury hotels, and other personal items. While the tax case cannot be specifically mentioned during the weapons trial, evidence of Hunter’s extravagant spending can be presented to the jury. The jury will also not hear about a plea deal that Hunter was expected to take last summer but ultimately fell through in court. Hunter’s defense team has argued that both the weapons and tax prosecutions are politically motivated to harm President Biden’s re-election chances.
