Hunter Biden trial live updates: Defense calls gun shop employee who handled Hunter Biden's background check (2024)

Employee of gun store who ran Hunter Biden's background checks says seller gave him incomplete form

Naomi Biden, Hunter Biden's eldest daughter, arrived at the courthouse with her husband, Peter Neal. She is expected to testify in her father's defense.

She has spoken out in defense of her father before, calling him "a man filled with love, integrity, and human struggles" in a series of social media posts weeks before the 2020 election when his name was in the news.

"The pain he has endured would be enough to make a lesser man give up on life all together," she said at the time. "But despite the best efforts of a cruel few to destroy a private man, he is sober, happy, and as at peace as ever today because as long his family needs him, he has not lost his purpose."

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

The defense has called its first witness in Hunter Biden’s gun trial: Jason Turner, the Starquest Shooters employee who handled the background check portion of the ATF form.

He took the stand at 11:12 a.m. after an extended morning break.

After the prosecution rested, Biden's lawyer Abbe Lowell made an oral motion for a “judgment of acquittal,” listing as his reasons that the charges were unconstitutional under the 2nd Amendment's guarantee of the right to bear arms,

He listed three reasons why, including the unconstitutionality of charges, citing the Second Amendment.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of the month on a challenge to federal gun laws that could ultimately undermine the statute under which Hunter Biden was charged.

James Biden, uncle of Hunter Biden and brother of President Biden, has arrived at the courthouse.

Hunter Biden's lawyer Abbe Lowell said the first witness he will call for the defense is Jason Turner, a onetime employee at the gun shop in Wilmington, Delaware, who was involved in selling Hunter the gun.

The second witness will be Ron Palmieri, the owner of the shop, StarQuest Shooters and Survival Supply, Lowell said.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

The prosecution has rested in Hunter Biden’s gun trial at 10:39 a.m. We are now taking a 15-minute break.

Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell began his cross-examination of DEA agent Romig by telling him, "I’d like if I can in the time I’m here to talk about this case, and not generalities," This was an apparent swipe at prosecutor Derek Hines for asking about generalities of drug use in America.

Romig said, “Nothing that I’ve reviewed would indicate” Hunter Biden was a distributor of drugs.

“I didn’t look into anybody in this investigation,” Romig added. “I did not do anything as a DEA agent” regarding this case.

Prosecutor Derek Hines asked about a message from Hunter Biden referring to $600 for 10 grams of crack cocaine being the market rate.

When Hunter Biden texted a picture of a white substance on a scale, saying “under any value known to any market in the world what I paid is 60% greater” he was “clearly upset that the amount is much less than he paid for,” Romig said.

The amount of $600 for 10 grams is "pretty significantly higher than the fair market value,” DEA agent Romig said, adding that sellers “100%” size up what buyers are willing to pay.

Romig also told the court that he’s been watching the proceedings from the overflow room and has been listening to the other prosecution witnesses who’ve testified about Hunter Biden’s drug use.

Prosecutor Derek Hines had DEA agent Romig read through Hunter Biden's messages that have been previously introduced as evidence to testify about coded language used during drug deals.

When he texted about “baby powder” he was using a “rudimentary, pretty standard cocaine code,” said Romig.

What does “party favor” mean? “Generally drugs.”

Prosecutor Derek Hines asked DEA agent Joshua Romig about the difference between crack and cocaine.

Crack is “a more easily smokeable form of cocaine,” Romig said, explaining that crack is actually more pure than powder cocaine because the cooking process removes any cutting agents that dealers may have added to increase the bulk of the cocaine.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

After Brewer exited the stand, the prosecution called who it had indicated would be its final witness,Joshua Romig of the DEA. Romig said of his experience that drug investigations are “pretty much all I’ve done for the last quarte-century.”

He testified about his career of investigating drug cases, first for the Baltimore Police Department and now at the DEA.

“We want to target the high-level drug traffickers” at the DEA, he said.

Defense lawyer David Kolansky conducted the cross-examination of Brewer. This was the first cross-examination that wasn't done by Abbe Lowell.

Kolansky tried to convey two points in his cross-examination: There was a “minimal amount of residue” in the pouch, and that the first lab test was done in October 2023, five years after the initial incident and after charges had been filed in this case. Brewer confirmed that no tests had been done before October 2023, to his knowledge.

Forensic chemist James Brewer testified that he found white powder in Hunter Biden's pouch and that it tested positive for cocaine.

After Judge Noreika qualified Brewer as an expert witness, prosecutor Leo Wise handed him the brown leather pouch and asked him to confirm it was the one he had previously examined.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Dr. Jason Brewer, who is testifying today, worked at the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for about 20 years and currently works as a forensic examiner in the FBI’s chemistry unit. He has testified about 25 different times as an expert witness, he said, and has examined thousands of items over his career.

Reporting from Wilmington, Del.

Valerie Biden Owens, President Joe Biden's sister, and her husband spent the minutes before court started today hand in hand and sometimes her husband, Jack Owens, had his arm over her shoulders. She was wearing black sunglasses inside.

Friends and family took up more than 2 rows of the courtroom gallery, behind the defense table. Jill Biden, Melissa Cohen-Biden, Kevin Morris, Valerie Biden Owens and Jack Owens were among those in court.

When defense lawyer Abbe Lowell walked into the courtroom, he spent a few minutes chatting with Valerie Biden Owens. “You have an amazing family,” Lowell told her.

When Hunter Biden walked in, he kissed his wife before heading to the defense table.

The trial has started for the day and forensic chemist Dr. Jason Brewer has taken the witness stand.

He is expected to testify about his analysis of the residue on the brown leather pouch Hunter Biden had used, and his opinion that the residue was cocaine based on his testing and examination of that evidence.

Biden continues his trip in France after yesterday's D-Day commemoration events.

Notably, he held a meeting this morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Biden is expected to deliver remarks later in the day honoringthelegacy of Pointe du Hoc, where U.S. Army Rangers scaled the cliffs during the U.S. invasion to take out German artillery.

First lady Jill Biden arrived at the courthouse at 8:50 a.m. She missed court yesterday because she attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, yesterday with the president.

Hunter Biden arrived at court at 8:39 a.m. His defense team is expected to begin calling witnesses today.

President Joe Biden toldABC Newsin an interview yesterday that he will accept whatever a jury decides in Hunter Biden‘scriminal trialand that he will not use his presidential power to pardon his son if he’s convicted.

Biden made his brief statements on his son’s historic trial in an interview with ABC News anchor David Muir in Normandy, where the president and other dignitaries were taking part in a service to commemorate the 80th anniversary ofD-Day, a turning point for the Allied forces in World War II.

Asked if he would rule out a pardon for his son, who’s facingthree federal gun-related chargesin court in Delaware, Biden answered simply, “Yes.” Asked if he would accept the outcome of the jury trial, a first for an offspring of a sitting president, he again replied, “Yes.”

Read the full story here.

It’s Day 5 of the trial, and we expect prosecutors to rest their case by midmorning. After that, we expect an extended break, followed by the defense presenting its case. We don’t yet know if Hunter Biden will testify in his own defense.

Biden's lawyer Abbe Lowell said last night that he expects to call two to three more witnesses, although that could change based on the prosecution’s witnesses today.

Close observers of the trial might remember that in opening statements, Lowell said, “Jimmy Biden will explain why he is so close to Hunter.” That hasn’t happened yet, so we should expect to see testimony from James Biden, who is President Joe Biden’s brother, in some form in the coming days.

On Tuesday, Lowell also said Naomi Biden, Hunter Biden's daughter, is on the witness list.

The jury in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial heard dramatic testimony from Hallie Biden yesterday. She’s the wife of the late Beau Biden and Hunter’s former romantic partner. Hallie Biden detailed Hunter’s drug addiction, as he faces criminal charges for allegedly lying on a background check about his drug use in order to purchase a gun. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports

Prosecutors are expected to bring two more witnesses to the stand: forensic chemist Jason Brewer and Drug Enforcement Agency supervisory special agent Joshua Romig.

Brewer is expected to testify about his analysis of the residue on a brown leather pouch Hunter Biden had used to hold his gun and his opinion that, based on his testing and examination of the evidence, the residue was cocaine.

Romig is expected to offer opinions, based on his training and experience, about coded messages Hunter Biden sent and other information.

Prosecutors could rest their case as early as midmorning. From there, the defense team can call witnesses.

The late Beau Biden's wife, Hallie Biden, who had a romantic relationship with Hunter Biden after Beau’s death, took the stand yesterday and testified about why she threw away Hunter's gun, as well as details about her drug use and Hunter's addiction.

Earlier in the day, jurors heard from the man who sold Hunter the gun, the man who found the gun in a trash can after Hallie threw it out, and a former Delaware State Police lieutenant.