Hunter Biden's Case: What the Judge Ruled Out

In the latest hearing before Hunter Biden's gun trial, the presiding judge dismissed certain evidence that prosecutors intended to introduce, including references to his Navy discharge and child support case.

Hunter Biden's upcoming gun trial in Delaware has seen a significant development, with the judge presiding over the case ruling that prosecutors cannot use certain salacious evidence. The decision came during the final hearing before jury selection begins on June 3.

Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled that the prosecution cannot use evidence of Hunter Biden's U.S. Navy discharge or the child support case for his out-of-wedlock daughter in Arkansas. This evidence was part of the prosecution's plan to persuade the jury that Biden made false statements on a federal form when he purchased a revolver in 2018, while actively using narcotics.

While Noreika dismissed certain evidence, she allowed the prosecution to use part of Hunter Biden's book, where he discusses his addiction to drugs, and portions of his infamous laptop to demonstrate his drug use and spending habits. However, she ruled that Biden's defense team can question aspects of the laptop in front of the jury.

In a motion filed by Hunter Biden's defense attorneys, they requested the exclusion of certain information from the trial to avoid "significant risk of unfair prejudice." They argued that references to his child support proceedings and Navy discharge were not relevant to the charges.

Noreika agreed in part, ruling that prosecutors could include evidence of Hunter Biden's lavish spending but could not use the phrase "extravagant lifestyle." Additionally, she prohibited the use of information about his comments from the day he initially pleaded guilty as part of a collapsed plea deal.

The gun indictment alleges that Hunter Biden knowingly made false statements when purchasing the revolver, certifying that he was not an unlawful user of narcotics. The indictment also charges him with possessing the firearm, which was transported across state lines. The total maximum prison time for the combined charges could reach 25 years.

Prosecutors also intended to use evidence of an incident in 2018, where a gun owned by Hunter Biden was discarded in a trash can outside a market in Delaware. However, Noreika ruled that Hunter Biden's defense attorneys cannot inform the jury that Delaware state police declined to charge him at the time.

Additionally, Judge Mark Scarsi, presiding over a separate federal tax trial involving Hunter Biden in California, ruled to delay the trial from June 20 to September 5. Hunter Biden's attorneys requested the delay.

The rulings from both judges set the stage for two significant trials involving Hunter Biden, with the gun trial scheduled to begin next month and the tax trial to commence in September.