Hunter Biden trial: 'Politics never came into play,' juror says after guilty verdict

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell, in his closing argument, urged jurors to dispense with the government's "conjecture and suspicion" and find his client not guilty on all three counts.

"We have had Hunter's life in our hands" until now, Lowell said, referring to his legal team. "And now we have to give it to you."

Lowell repeatedly referred to prosecutors' case as a "magicians' trick" -- to "watch this hand and pay no attention to that one," as he said -- arguing that prosecutors failed to "fill in the gaps" about Hunter Biden's drug use around the time of his firearm purchase "because they don't have the proof."

Lowell also referred to prosecutors' strategy of showing Hunter Biden's pattern of drug use as an "accordion," meant to "compress" the timeline and make it seem to jurors that he was actively using drugs in October 2018, when he said on a government form that he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun.

The defense attorney also attacked some of the tactics prosecutors used, calling their treatment of Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi Biden "extraordinarily cruel" and saying that many of their questions and evidence were introduced with the intention of "embarrassing Hunter."

He also asked jurors to recall gaps in the recollections of Hunter Biden's then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, and suggested they should remember the immunity agreement she struck with prosecutors for her testimony.

"These are serious charges that will change Hunter's life," he said of the three felony charges the president's son faces, adding that "it's time to end this case."

Following Lowell's closing, the government was scheduled to have a short rebuttal, at which point the judge was to finish her jury instructions before the jury gets the case.

Prosecutor Leo Wise used witness testimony and Hunter Biden's own words from his memoir and text messages to argue that the president's son "knew exactly what he was doing" when prosecutors say he falsely claimed he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun in 2018.

"Take the defendant's word for it," Wise said as he showed the jury excerpts from Hunter Biden's book that described his drug use and addiction.

Wise, showing the jurors a side-by-side comparison of testimony regarding his truck from his daughter Naomi Biden and then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, said their testimony is "circumstantial evidence " that shows "the defendant used crack in the truck" days after purchasing the firearm.

Naomi Biden testified that she returned the truck to her father "clean" on Oct. 19, 2018, and Hallie Biden testified that a few days later she found Hunter Biden's gun in the vehicle along with drug paraphernalia and drug remnants.

Wise also showed the jury a calendar of the month of October 2018 that showed the cash withdrawals made by Hunter Biden. "None of the cash was for rehab," Wise said.

The evidence, Wise told jurors in conclusion, "supports only one verdict."

Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell then began his closing arguments.

Prosecutor Leo Wise, continuing his closing argument, laid out his case for conviction by telling jurors that the evidence in the case was "ugly" but "necessary" to establish Hunter Biden's drug use during the time in question -- as well as in the months before and after.

"He knew he was using drugs," Wise told the jury, a reference to the standard the jury must reach for conviction -- that Hunter Biden had to "knowingly" lie on the gun-purchase form on which he said he was not addicted to drugs.

"That's what the evidence shows," Wise said.

Wise emphasized repeatedly to the jury that the government is not required to show specifically that Hunter used drugs when he owned the gun from the Oct. 12-23, 2018 -- but rather they must "establish that pattern."

To that end, Wise referenced the text messages spanning back to 2015 in which Hunter Biden appeared to purchase drugs or reference his addiction, as well as the testimony from his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and ex-girlfriend Hallie Biden, who said they either found his drug paraphernalia, saw him use drugs, or talked to him about it.

Wise also pointed to the testimony of ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan, who testified she saw Hunter Biden using drugs in late September 2018 -- just two weeks before he bought the gun.

"You can convict on that alone," Wise told the jury.

Wise also referenced Hunter Biden's memoir, "Beautiful Things," saying it was a "searingly painful" but "honest" description of himself and his addiction.

The evidence showed Hunter Biden "habitually used," Wise said.

Prosecutor Leo Wise began his closing argument by referencing the many Biden family members packed into the courtroom galley today.

"All of this is not evidence," Wise said to the jury as he gestured toward the gallery where First lady Jill Biden and other members of the Biden family are jammed into the front three rows.

"You may recognize them from the news, from the community," Wise told them. "None of that matters."

Wise then reiterated the government's opening remarks that no one is above the law, telling the jury that the case is no different from others -- regardless "of who the defendant is."