With the strike of a judge’s gavel in Delaware, Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, grew to become the to start with child of a sitting down president to be a criminal defendant.

Prosecutors allege the younger Biden, 54, lied about his drug use on software kinds when he purchased a handgun in 2018.

He faces up to 25 several years in jail if convicted of the 3 federal counts, in a case that started on Monday with jury variety.

Mr Biden has pleaded not guilty to the prices.

The trial – which will come as his father strategies for re-election – is very likely to see prosecutors delve into graphic particulars of Mr Biden’s crack cocaine addiction, probably giving fodder for the president’s political foes.

When he has regularly declined to remark on the court docket circumstance, in a assertion published on the morning of the trial’s begin the elder Biden mentioned that he has “boundless appreciate” and “confidence” in his son.

“Hunter’s resilience in the deal with of adversity and the power he has brought to his restoration are inspiring to us,” the president added.

Here is what we know about the case.

Mr Biden is struggling with a few federal charges in the circumstance: two counts of generating fake statements and a person rely of illegal gun possession.

The charges all relate to his obtain of a revolver at a Delaware gun retail store in Oct 2018, which he retained for about 11 days.

By Mr Biden’s possess admission, he was deep in the throes of a “comprehensive blown habit” to crack cocaine at the time.

The two bogus statement prices stem from allegations that he lied about his drug use on a federally-mandated type when he purchased the weapon.

Especially, prosecutors allege that he falsely claimed that he was “not an unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant narcotic drug” when he ordered a Colt Cobra Particular revolver.

The 3rd depend is linked to his possession of a firearm when alleged to have been a drug user.

The gun was discarded and found out at a grocery retailer in Greenville, Delaware, prompting an investigation that finally led investigators again to the types.

To convict Mr Biden, prosecutors will have to persuade jurors that he knowingly designed untrue statements on the kind in a bid to deceive the retail store that bought him the pistol.

Also, they will have to verify that Mr Biden was a drug consumer or addicted to prescription drugs, and took possession of the gun despite realizing as a great deal.

US District Judge Maryellen Noreika has already dominated that defence legal professionals are unable to argue that the prosecution can only get a guilty verdict by proving Mr Biden was applying drugs on the working day he purchased the weapon.

In its place, in a pre-trial listening to, the choose agreed with prosecutors’ argument that they want only prove that “unlawful use (experienced) transpired not long ago adequate to indicate that the individual (was) actively engaged in these kinds of conduct”.

In courtroom filings designed forward of the trial’s start out, prosecutors suggested that they would rely, in portion, on deeply private textual content messages and other communications produced even though Mr Biden was in the throes of habit.

In 1 these types of text information cited in court paperwork, Mr Biden refers to himself as a “liar and a thief and a blame and a consumer and I’m delusional and an addict as opposed to further than and over all other addicts that you know”.

The prosecution is also envisioned to count on the testimonies of witnesses such as ex-spouse Kathleen Buhle and Mr Biden’s ex-companion Hallie Biden – who is also the widow of Mr Biden’s brother Beau.

Prosecutors will also be capable to position to Mr Biden’s possess 2021 memoir, in which he comprehensive his activities as a drug user who was “up 20-four hours a day, using tobacco each and every 15 minutes, 7 times a 7 days”.

“All my electricity revolved around using tobacco drugs and creating arrangements to acquire medication – feeding the beast,” he wrote in the reserve.

Even though Mr Biden has himself been tranquil about the trial, authorized paperwork submitted by his attorneys propose that they will focus on how a great deal Mr Biden was conscious of his dependancy at the end of the acquire, and on the high-quality of the proof alone.

His most important legal professional, Abbe Lowell, unsuccessfully sought permission from the courtroom to phone upon an pro witness who can testify about an addict’s being familiar with of their compound abuse difficulties.

In an interview with the BBC after Mr Biden’s not responsible plea, South Texas Faculty of Regulation Professor Dru Stevenson reported that costs for unlawful gun possession normally result in a “slam dunk scenario”.

“I never think there is any question that [Mr Biden] will be convicted.”

The 3rd demand, with regards to Mr Biden’s alleged possession of a firearm while a drug person, is regarded unusual, as it can be challenging to establish anyone is a drug person and has a gun.

“It really is just seriously uncommon that they would go right after another person and prosecute them for this,” Prof Stevenson explained. “But this is a substantial-profile particular person and there is been users of Congress demanding he be prosecuted.”

Among the the most prominent parts of proof at the trial is probably to be the information on Mr Biden’s infamous laptop computer, which has been the aim of intense media speculation and concentrate from conservative news shops.

The laptop computer has also been at the centre of unproven theories linking Mr Biden and his father to corruption, which they both of those deny.

Mr Biden’s very own attorneys have argued that the laptop was tampered with in advance of it fell into the hands of investigators.

The specific counsel appointed to oversee the probes into Hunter Biden, David Weiss, has claimed that the tampering argument is a “conspiracy concept” with “no supporting evidence.”

In a Might filing, prosecutors wrote that the laptop contained “sizeable evidence” of Mr Biden’s guilt.

The two phony statement expenses just about every carry a optimum sentence of up to 10 yrs, whilst the third count is punishable by up to 5 several years – this means that Mr Biden could confront up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Precise sentences for federal crimes, nonetheless, are commonly a lot less than the most penalties specified by law.

If Mr Biden is convicted, the choose in the circumstance will eventually establish the sentence right after looking at sentencing guidelines and a wide variety of other lawful variables.

In addition to the gun prices in Delaware, Mr Biden is dealing with separate federal rates in California around allegations that he evaded a tax evaluation, failed to adequately file and fork out taxes and filed a fraudulent tax return.

Various months right after the amazing collapse of a plea deal that would handle both sets of prices final 12 months, Mr Biden also pleaded not guilty to the tax fees.