Hunter Biden's attorney sought to cast doubt on the government's narrative during his opening statement, claiming that Hunter Biden was not actively using drugs at the time of his gun purchase and therefore did not "knowingly" lie on the federal form barring drug users from procuring a firearm.

"He did not knowingly violate these laws," attorney Abbe Lowell said, since there was "nothing on the form about the definition of a user."

Lowell told the jury that Hunter Biden was using alcohol at the time of the gun purchase, but that his drug use "did not start until later."

The attorney said that while Hunter Biden was in Delaware, where he purchased the gun, his behavior was "totally inconsistent" with how he presented it when he was on drugs.

"He spoke with his father, his uncle, his daughters," Lowell said, suggesting they would have noticed if he was "smoking crack every 15 minutes," as he described in his 2021 memoir, "Beautiful Things."

"There is no such thing as a high-functioning crack addict," Lowell said.

Lowell told the jury that Hunter Biden had entered a 12-day rehab program in California before returning to Delaware in the fall of 2018, just a week before the gun purchase, shepherded by his "Uncle Jimmy Biden," who Lowell suggested will testify at trial.

Lowell also pushed back on one of the government's key pieces of evidence -- a text Hunter sent to his then-romantic partner Halle Biden days after purchasing the gun, in which he claimed to be "on a car" smoking crack. Prosecutors said this was evidence that he was using drugs at the time, but Lowell said that, "in reality, he did not want to see Hallie."

As part of the defense, Lowell also appeared to shift some blame to the owners and employees at the gun store where Hunter Biden purchased the gun, saying they "wanted to make a sale."

Lowell claimed that Hunter Biden first purchased a BB gun and a knife at the store, and only purchased the gun after they approached him.

"Hunter wouldn't have known what a speedloader was," said Lowell, who also claimed the salesman never "took Hunter through" the form to ensure he understood it.

"How quickly does a person check through those boxes?" Lowell asked jurors.

Lowell also pushed back on allegations involving the gun pouch that was found with the firearm after Hallie Biden threw the gun it in a dumpster. Prosecutors allege that the pouch had cocaine residue on it, but Lowell said it was never checked for fingerprints and called into question its chain of custody.

"Hunter has never asked anyone to excuse his mistakes," Lowell said, before asking jurors to find him not guilty.

As Lowell delivered his opening statement, first lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden's wife Melissa Cohen Biden, and his half-sister Ashley Biden sat largely stoic in the gallery. Hunter Biden kept his eyes on Lowell and his hands clasped. Jurors paid close attention, with several taking notes.

Government prosecutors told jurors in the trial's opening statements that they should make "no distinction for Hunter Biden or anybody else" as they weigh the gun case against the president's son.

Hunter Biden "chose to lie," prosecutor Derek Hines said, laying out the case that the defendant purchased a gun while knowing he was an addict and drug user.

Hines said Hunter Biden bought the firearm from a gun seller who will testify as a witness that the younger Biden filled out form 4473 -- consenting to a federal background check -- and certified that he understood the form. The prosecution said it will show Hunter Biden "bought a gun and lied during a background check."

The man who sold Hunter Biden the gun will testify that he watched the defendant fill out the form.

The gun was then "taken by someone concerned he had a gun. That person was Halle Biden," Hines said, referring to Hunter Biden's romantic partner at the time.

Halle Biden disposed of the gun in a dumpster, where it was retrieved by a man who will also be a witness called by the government.

"The police were called" when Halle Biden went to retrieve the gun, Hines said.

Hines, in his opening, said evidence will show that "Hunter Biden knew he was a drug user and a drug addict" when he filled out the form.

Hines cited Hunter Biden's memoir, "Beautiful Things," in which he wrote he had a "superpower of buying crack anywhere, anytime."

In text messages presented by the prosecution, Hunter Biden acknowledged, "I am an addict."

Opening statements got underway in Hunter Biden's gun trial after nearly an hour-long delay.

The jury was seated just before 10 a.m.

"No one is above the law," prosecutor Derek Hines said in his opening statement, addressing the jury from the lectern.

"It doesn't matter who you are or what your name is," Hines told them.

Judge Maryellen Noreika took the bench this morning and announced they had "lost" one juror overnight after she "begged" to be released due to travel difficulties.

"We lost a juror overnight," Judge Noreika said, noting the juror explained she lives far away and does not have a car. Noreika did not specifically address how they would be moving forward, but there are four alternates who were seated yesterday as part of the jury.

Opening statements had still not gotten underway as of 9 a.m., as the court was still awaiting the arrival of four of the jurors.

Judge Noreika used the time to address a number of motions, including rejecting a motion from Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell seeking to exclude from evidence a number of photos of Hunter Biden.

The government said they needed a photo to prove Hunter Biden was in Malibu at a particular time, and the judge agreed to admit it.

First lady Jill Biden was back in her same front-row seat as yesterday, seated between Hunter Biden's wife Melissa and Jill Biden's daughter Ashley Biden.

Judge Maryellen Noreika has so far quizzed more than 50 Delaware residents about their fitness to serve as jurors in the first trial of a sitting president's son. And being Delaware -- a small state that Joe Biden represented in the Senate for more than three decades -- nearly all of them had some level of familiarity with Hunter Biden's legal travails.

"I live in Delaware," one prospective juror said. "You can't swing a cat without hearing something."

"Delaware is a small place," another said. "So you hear stuff."

Several jurors said they had heard or read about this trial specifically. Most had only a cursory understanding of the case, but others expressed a detailed accounting of the charges. A few jurors mentioned the ill-fated plea deal that Hunter Biden initially struck with prosecutors last summer.

"At one time there was a deal, and then there wasn't," one man said.

One woman had even read Hunter Biden's memoir, "Beautiful Things," which prosecutors plan to use to help prove their case. She was excused by the judge.

President Joe Biden has emerged repeatedly in questioning, with prospective jurors expressing both positive and negative feelings on his presidency. One woman said she believed that Hunter Biden was facing charges largely because his father is the president.

"I think it was a very strong factor," she said.

Several others have been dismissed for harboring negative views toward the Bidens. Asked for his opinion about the president, one man said, "Not a good one." Another man said, "Negative toward the defendant." Both were excused.

The jury questionnaire also includes several questions about drug and alcohol addiction -- an affliction that many prospective jurors said has personally affected them.

One woman held back tears as she described how her best friend had died of a heroine overdose. Another man said his daughter is a recovering addict.

"Everybody needs a second chance," he said.

Judge Noreika has been pressing ahead, intent on getting a jury seated as soon as possible -- perhaps even by the end of the day.

In addition first lady Jill Biden and Hunter Biden's wife Melissa, his half-sister Ashley Biden attended court during the morning session, and his confidant and financier Kevin Morris is also in attendance.