WEBVTT 00:02.133 --> 00:05.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: For the first time in U.S. history, the child of a sitting president is on trial. 00:06.833 --> 00:09.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% President Biden's son Hunter Biden is facing federal charges related to 00:09.066 --> 00:13.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% his purchase and possession of a gun. Separately, Hunter Biden faces several 00:13.133 --> 00:17.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% charges that he allegedly dodged more than $1.4 million in taxes. 00:17.866 --> 00:21.500 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% The president did not attend court, where jury selection began today, 00:21.500 --> 00:26.433 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% but he did issue this statement, saying: "I am the president, but I'm also a dad. 00:26.433 --> 00:31.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Jill and I love our son, and we're so proud of the man he is today. Hunter's resilience 00:31.033 --> 00:36.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% in the face of adversity and the strength he's brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. " 00:37.566 --> 00:39.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas was in the Wilmington, 00:39.533 --> 00:41.966 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Delaware, courtroom today, and he joins us now. 00:41.966 --> 00:44.166 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Ryan, it's good to see you. 00:44.166 --> 00:47.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So let's just remind folks about the charges here. Anyone using drugs or struggling with 00:47.766 --> 00:52.766 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% addiction is barred from buying or owning a gun. Hunter Biden denied that he was 00:52.766 --> 00:57.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a -- quote -- "unlawful user or addict" on his application to buy a gun back in 2018, 00:57.433 --> 01:00.933 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% but he's been open about his addiction struggles at that time. 01:00.933 --> 01:05.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So is this sort of an open-and-shut case? 01:05.700 --> 01:06.966 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% RYAN LUCAS, Justice Correspondent, NPR: Well, certainly, the government 01:06.966 --> 01:08.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% thinks that it's an open-and-shut case. 01:08.933 --> 01:13.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They say that Hunter Biden, when he went to purchase a gun in October of 2018, 01:15.166 --> 01:19.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol, and then he lied about that on standard 01:21.333 --> 01:24.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% background check forms that you have to fill out when you purchase a gun. So, 01:24.133 --> 01:27.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% in the government's perspective, this is very much an open-and-shut case. 01:27.033 --> 01:32.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Now, Hunter's attorneys certainly feel that it is not an open-and-shut case. For them, 01:34.100 --> 01:36.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% they say that this is far more complicated. They say, have said in filings, at least, 01:36.533 --> 01:41.266 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that Hunter had completed an 11-day rehab program around the time that this all went down. So they 01:43.666 --> 01:47.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% say that it is logical from his perspective that perhaps he didn't understand what a drug addict 01:50.166 --> 01:53.066 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% or drug user meant on that form and that he could think that he was not using drugs at that time. 01:53.066 --> 01:58.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Judge Maryellen Noreika has kind of boxed that argument into a degree by saying that 02:00.233 --> 02:03.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% federal prosecutors do not need to prove that Hunter Biden was actively using drugs when he 02:05.233 --> 02:07.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% was purchasing the gun. But, again, this is very much something that's going to be up to 02:07.700 --> 02:12.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% the jury to decide based on the evidence that the government presents in the case. 02:12.066 --> 02:15.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: So, as we mentioned, jury selection began and ended today. Tell 02:15.233 --> 02:20.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% us what we should know about that jury and what stood out to you about the selection process? 02:22.400 --> 02:27.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% RYAN LUCAS: Well, the process moved very quickly. It was actually less than a full day, 02:29.166 --> 02:32.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and the judge was able to impanel this jury of 12 jurors, four alternates. 02:34.766 --> 02:39.533 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% It is an even mix, six men, six women. It's a majority-Black jury. What was 02:41.366 --> 02:44.700 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% really interesting over the course of the jury selection process was, one, 02:44.700 --> 02:49.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that several of the potential jurors said that Wilmington and Delaware generally is a 02:49.466 --> 02:54.133 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% small place. There were several folks who had known the Biden -- the Biden family, 02:54.133 --> 02:59.100 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% whether it be Joe Biden, Jill Biden, or Hunter himself, or his late brother. 03:01.200 --> 03:04.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And there was also the issue of a lot of potential jurors had family or friends who 03:06.933 --> 03:10.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% had struggled with addiction. There was one potential juror who said they had a friend 03:10.633 --> 03:15.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% who died of a heroin overdose. So this is - - some of the issues that are very much 03:17.666 --> 03:20.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% central to this case are things that people in the community know and have experienced. 03:22.800 --> 03:26.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That said, the judge and both sides were able to whittle this jury pool down. And 03:28.333 --> 03:30.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% all the jurors who ended up being impaneled were individuals who said that they could 03:30.900 --> 03:35.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% set aside their personal experiences, as well as their knowledge of the case, 03:35.666 --> 03:40.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and judge it based on the facts and the evidence as they're presented in the courtroom. 03:40.166 --> 03:44.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: So, Ryan, walk us through the timeline ahead now. What do we expect to happen next? And, 03:44.133 --> 03:49.133 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% also, what possible penalty could Hunter Biden face here, if convicted? 03:51.100 --> 03:55.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% RYAN LUCAS: Well, we will have opening statements tomorrow morning from both sides. 03:55.366 --> 03:58.666 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Then I believe that the government will call its first witness, which is expected to be 03:58.666 --> 04:03.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% an FBI agent who worked on this investigation into Hunter Biden. As for penalties, in theory, 04:06.466 --> 04:11.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% up to 25 years is the maximum sentence for Hunter Biden in this case. There are two charges that 04:11.066 --> 04:15.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% carry a maximum of 10 years and one charge that carries a five-year maximum sentence. 04:15.466 --> 04:20.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% That said, Hunter Biden has no known criminal history. He's a first-time 04:22.233 --> 04:25.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% offender. So that maximum sentence is most likely not what he would end up 04:25.500 --> 04:29.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% being seen. The sentencing guidelines would be much lower. And, ultimately, 04:29.100 --> 04:34.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% it's going to be up to the judge to decide, if he is convicted, what the sentence would be. 04:35.366 --> 04:37.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: In 30 seconds or so I have left, 04:37.100 --> 04:41.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% do we expect Hunter Biden himself or any Biden to take the stand? 04:42.866 --> 04:45.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% RYAN LUCAS: There's no word on whether Hunter Biden himself would testify, 04:45.600 --> 04:50.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% but prosecutors have said that they do expect to call Hunter Biden's ex-wife, 04:50.266 --> 04:55.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Katherine (sic) Buhle, as well as Beau's widow, Hallie Biden, 04:57.400 --> 05:00.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% who Hunter Biden was involved with romantically at the time that this all went down in 2018. 05:02.433 --> 05:06.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So this is a case that is going to dig up some dark parts of Hunter Biden's life, 05:08.600 --> 05:11.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% his struggles with addiction, and certainly how that affected the Biden family. 05:11.300 --> 05:15.200 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: That is NPR's justice correspondent, Ryan Lucas, joining us from Delaware tonight. 05:15.200 --> 05:18.700 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% Ryan, thank you. Good to see you. 05:18.700 --> 05:23.700 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% RYAN LUCAS: Thank you.