Judge Maryellen Noreika, in her initial instructions to jurors, explained how they are to apply the law to the facts of the case for the three criminal counts Hunter Biden faces.

"You must not attach any significance to the fact that the defendant did not testify," she read aloud in the courtroom, after the defense decided not to call Hunter Biden to the stand.

The judge defined "knowingly," the central term by which jurors must determine if Hunter Biden bought the gun at the center of the case "knowing" he was an addict or user of drugs, after he stated on the gun-purchase form that he was not.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 12:05 p.m. ET, after which the judge will give the jury her final instructions and their deliberations will begin.

Closing arguments will begin at about noon ET after Hunter Biden chose not to testify in his federal gun case.

The defense rested without him taking the stand, after which prosecutors presented a brief rebuttal case, then the judge gave the jury their initial instructions.

Following the prosecution's rebuttal case, the judge read the jury their initial instructions.

Court is then expected to break for lunch, with closing arguments currently scheduled for the afternoon.

The judge will then give the jury their final instructions before they begin deliberations.

The government rested its rebuttal case after a brief cross-examination of FBI special agent Erika Jensen, who testified about location and text message data relevant to the case.

Attorneys then gathered for another sidebar conference.

According to a transcript of Tuesday's proceedings released hours after court concluded, at attorney for Hunter Biden told the judge during a sidebar conversation that he might decide to call Hunter Biden's oldest daughter, Naomi Biden, to testify at trial "if need be."

Attorney Abbe Lowell made the statement during what appeared to be a tense exchange between him, Judge Maryellen Noreika and two government prosecutors, in which Lowell divulged his expectations for witnesses.

When prosecutors suggested Lowell was hiding the ball on how he planned to present certain evidence, Lowell first introduced the idea of calling one of Hunter Biden's daughters as a witness:

MR. HINES: Exactly, we have asked Mr. Lowell and he won't tell us.
MR. LOWELL: That's not what I said.
MR. HINES: He couldn't tell us which witness.
MR. LOWELL: I said I'm making a proffer and the court -- I understand the rules, each one of these will be submitted with a witness, I don't have to tell them in advance which witness it is, but I am making a statement to the Court, there is three or four witnesses, including his uncle and his daughter, if need be.

Lowell later clarified that Naomi Biden, Hunter Biden's daughter with ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, and the president's eldest granddaughter, was on his witness list.

Lowell also left the door open for Hunter Biden to testify "if it gets to that," a gamble that would put his client in the position of facing live cross-examination from federal prosecutors. It came during a discussion about how Lowell planned to demonstrate that Hunter Biden read the ATF Form 4473 "carefully."

THE COURT: Wait. Just so I'm clear, are you going to suggest that he did in fact read these things or just that if he had chosen to and didn't tell them.
MR. LOWELL: Both.
THE COURT: What is your evidence going to be that he did in fact read all of these things carefully?
MR. LOWELL: If it gets to that judge, then it will be Mr. Biden's job to say that.

During a debate at the same bench conference about an argument Lowell intended to make in his opening statement, Judge Maryellen Noreika called the defense attorney for interrupting her.

MR. LOWELL: That's not the argument judge.
THE COURT: That is what it sounds like you're telling me, you're saying he doesn't know what it was.
MR. LOWELL: No.
THE COURT: You keep cutting me off, and you want to make your argument, and I know you want to make your argument, but you need to understand it, so you need to understand where I am.

The judge later told Lowell, "Don't put words in my mouth."

"I know you're just trying to zealously represent your client," she said, "but don't assume my ruling before you give me a chance to make it."