Hunter Biden's Laptop to Serve as Evidence in Gun Trial

The upcoming trial of Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, will reportedly feature evidence from his controversial laptop. The laptop, which leaked in 2020, contains personal and business documents that have been the subject of much speculation and legal controversy.

Hunter Biden's criminal trial in Delaware is set to begin with jury selection on Monday, and the prosecution plans to introduce evidence from his infamous laptop. The trial stems from federal gun charges brought against him by special counsel David Weiss.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a licensed firearm dealer, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

The laptop has been the subject of intense scrutiny since it was leaked in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. Critics have alleged that it contains evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden and potentially his father. However, the authenticity of the laptop and its contents has been questioned by some, including former intelligence officials who dismissed it as Russian disinformation.

As part of the trial, the prosecution plans to introduce only certain portions of the laptop that are deemed relevant to the gun charges. The defense will also be allowed to question aspects of the laptop in front of the jury.

Presiding Judge Maryellen Noreika has ruled that the prosecution cannot use certain salacious evidence in the trial, including references to Hunter Biden's Navy discharge for cocaine use and his child support case for his out-of-wedlock daughter.

Noreika has also said that Weiss must show Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs but not necessarily using drugs on the day he purchased the gun. The government may use part of Hunter Biden's book, in which he discusses his addiction, as evidence.

In addition to the laptop, the prosecution is expected to call Hallie Biden, the widow of President Biden's late son Beau and Hunter's former girlfriend, to testify. A police report from 2018 indicated that Hallie Biden threw a gun owned by Hunter into a dumpster behind a market near a school.

The trial is expected to be closely watched by both the media and the public. The outcome could have implications for Hunter Biden's future as well as the reputation of his father and the Biden administration.

In a separate but related matter, Hunter Biden is also facing federal tax charges in California. Those charges allege a "four-year scheme" in which Hunter Biden failed to pay federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.

That trial was originally scheduled for June 20, but was postponed to September 5 at the request of Hunter Biden's attorneys. It is unclear whether the laptop will also play a role in the California tax trial.