The defense rested their case Monday on the sixth day of the trial at J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Del., just south of Philadelphia as the trial of the president’s son nears its end without calling any new witnesses to the stand to testify. The president’s brother, James Biden, was expected on Friday to take the stand but the defense pulled him.

Judge Maryellen Noreika on Monday morning rejected another attempt by the defense to add specific jury instruction language that may lean more favorably in Biden’s argument.

The Biden defense team wanted Noreika to directly instruct jurors to acquit if they can prove Hunter Biden did not know that he was an addict when he got the gun. But while she refused to do that, the judge did issue instructions to jurors to not hold it against Biden for not testifying.

Noreika said no to a request to give extra instructions to the jury about the meaning of “reasonable doubt.”

Federal prosecutors in Hunter Biden’s trial over gun and drug charges rested their case Friday morning after a rather emotional testimony by his daughter, Naomi Biden, who was on the stand to answer questions about her father’s past drug addiction.

She testified under oath that she never saw Hunter Biden use any illegal substances.

President Joe Biden said last week in an interview that he would not pardon his son as he maintains a distance from the trial amid a presidential campaign and former President Donald Trump‘s conviction of 34 felonies. But a number of friends and family members, including Hunter’s wide Melissa Cohen Biden, first lady Jill Biden and half-sister Ashley were back in court Monday morning to show support.

Hunter Biden, 54, faces three federal charges after being accused of buying and owning the gun while using illegal drugs. He bought the gun and filled out the form in October 2018. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges.

Prosecutors are trying to prove Biden knowingly lied on a federal form about a background question regarding drug addiction.

Defense lawyers for Biden contend he did not consider himself an addict at the time he bought the gun and thus could not have knowingly lied on that question.

Earlier in the week, the court heard from an FBI agent about Biden’s well-publicized laptop along with testimony from Gordon Cleveland, the Delaware seller of the firearm in question, as well as the police officer who later found the weapon.

In addition to Hunter Biden’s daughter, Naomi, the court also heard testimony from his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, a former girlfriend and Hallie Biden, widow of his late brother Beau Biden, who told the court she found the gun, along with drugs, while cleaning his truck in October of 2018.

She then threw the gun in a trash can at a nearby grocery store, but later returned to try to retrieve it, Hallie Biden testified.

A 2023 study portrays the reality how millions of Americans are addicted to alcohol or various types of drugs, and that millions more struggle with a family member or friend in the grip of addiction, which can spill over to everyday life.

If convicted on all counts, Hunter Biden could face up 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, according to court filings. However, because Biden does not have a violent past and is an alleged first-time offender, it is possible he could get a lighter sentence.

More information

For more on drug and alcohol addiction, head to the American Psychiatric Association.