In an unexpected move, court recessed for the day following the lunch break, with the defense telling the judge they are "down to that last decision" -- suggesting that they will determine over the weekend if Hunter Biden takes the stand Monday in his own defense.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the court the defense decided not to call one of its expert witnesses.

It also appears defense attorneys reversed course on testimony from Hunter Biden's uncle James Biden, who was already at the courthouse and who Lowell had earlier indicated would be testifying. James Biden was subsequently seen leaving the building.

Prosecutors said they are "still considering" whether they will put on a rebuttal case after the defense rests.

Judge Maryellen Noreika dismissed the jury, telling them to "enjoy a long weekend."

"We are starting to wrap the evidence in this case," she said.

The parties are scheduled to be back in court Monday at 8:15 a.m. ET.

Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, testified that her father "seemed great, he seemed hopeful" when she saw him on Oct. 18 or 19, 2018, in New York, where she was returning his vehicle to him -- several days after he purchased the gun at the center of the case and just days before his then-girlfriend Hallie Biden discovered and discarded it.

Earlier, in August, Naomi Biden described visiting him in Los Angeles, where he was in a drug rehab program. "He seemed the clearest I'd seen him since my uncle died," she said, referring to Hunter Biden's brother Beau Biden.

It was important testimony for the defense in their attempt to show that Hunter Biden was not using drugs around the time of the gun purchase.

Defense counsel Abbe Lowell asked Naomi Biden about the car trip she and her then-boyfriend took from Washington, D.C., to New York in mid-October 2018 to return her father's truck -- a Ford Raptor -- to him.

On cross-examination, prosecutor Leo Wise asked Naomi Biden if she ever witnessed her father using drugs -- she said she had not -- or whether she would know if he was using drugs based on his behavior.

"I guess not," she said.

Wise also established that Naomi Biden did not leave any drugs or drug residue in the vehicle before returning it to her father -- suggesting that the drug residue and paraphernalia Hallie Biden observed in the car days later arrived there after Hunter Biden retrieved the truck.

Jurors also saw some emotional text messages between Naomi Biden and her father during that mid-October timeframe.

"I'm really sad, I can't take this," she wrote her father, adding that "I really want to hang out with you."

"I'm sorry I've been so unreachable," Hunter Biden replied. "It's not fair to you."

On the stand, Naomi Biden spoke quietly, at one point saying, "Sorry, I'm nervous." Her husband, Peter Neal, sat in the gallery next to first lady Jill Biden, and had his hand over his mouth for much of the testimony.

Hunter Biden appeared emotional and was seen at times touching his face during her testimony.

When her testimony concluded, she embraced her father before leaving the courtroom, and court recessed for lunch.

Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi took the stand as the defense's third witness.

Jason Turner, an employee at the gun shop that sold Hunter Biden the Colt revolver at the center of the case, corroborated on the stand clerk Gordon Cleveland's earlier testimony of the sequence of events that occurred in the store when Hunter Biden filled out the ATF form and purchased the gun.

Turner, who appeared defensive and confrontational during some of his testimony, testified that he never spoke to Hunter Biden.

When shown the ATF Form 4473 that Hunter Biden filled out, Turner said Hunter Biden provided his car registration as an alternate form of ID because the passport he provided did not have an address.

The defense said in court papers filed earlier that confusion over how Hunter Biden's form of ID was recorded on the ATF form raised questions about "who wrote what on the form, and when."

When defense attorney Abbe Lowell, questioning Turner, highlighted the box on the form that asks for the type of alternate ID, it was blank.

"When I wrote that out, I wrote 'car registration,'" Turner said. "It's not there," he testified.

Lowell also pressed Turner on what he was doing after Hunter Biden's background check came back until the firearm was purchased.

"I would have put on my ritual tone and sat in a marble room," Turner said sarcastically.

Ron Palmieri, the owner of the gun store, then took the stand.

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."