Thread by @GaryGrumbach

NEW: In a rural, historic Delaware courthouse 100 miles - but seemingly a world - away from the Washington bubble, Hunter Biden is still the main topic of the day. 

THREAD —>

Arguments were heard today in former computer repair shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac’s civil lawsuit against Hunter Biden in Georgetown, Delaware Superior Court, where Mac Isaac is claiming he was defamed by Biden.

In a 2021 CBS interview, Biden said: “There could be a laptop out there that was stolen from me. It could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was the– that it was Russian intelligence. It could be that it was stolen from me. Or that there was a laptop stolen from me.”

Biden’s atty argued for summary judgement. “Mr. Mac Isaac’s claim of defamation is based on one statement Mr. Biden made, one time,” Abbe Lowell said. “Even the Russian Intelligence Unit wouldn’t have a good basis for defamation, because he says ‘could’, meaning ‘could not,’ too”

Mac Isaac’s attorney Ronald Poliquin argued that Hunter Biden intentionally used the words he did during the CBS interview. “He is an attorney, he is media savvy, he knew exactly what he was doing.”

The Judge didn’t seem to agree. “I found it quite lawyerly,” Robinson said.

Trying to prove Biden is not why Mac Isaac is widely known + would not be worthy of winning defamation, Lowell: “Who identified John Paul Mac Isaac to the world? Let’s think about it. Was it Mr. Biden? Or was it the 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 54 appearances Mr. Mac Isaac has made.”

Mac Isaac’s attorney was asked by Judge Robinson what, exactly, his client thought was going to happen when he turned over the contents of the laptop to Rudy Giuliani. “Did he think this was going to go away quietly?,” Judge Robinson asked.

“When you are a small business owner who is unsophisticated in geopolitical governments and FBI and cut throat politics,” Poliquin responded, “Somebody could be fairly naive as to what the fallout could be.”

As an aside, Lowell said that when fifty intelligence officials suggested the New York Post story about Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation, their “conjecture in 2020 was probably apt,” he said, referencing this week’s news of the indictment of Alexander Smirnov.

Also heard was Abbe Lowell’s counterclaim of “invasion of privacy.” Lowell brought up the hearing where Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene displayed compromising photo of Biden, found on Biden’s laptop. “She did not get it on her own,” Lowell said. “She did not find it on the street.”

No decision was made today by Judge Robinson. Judge Robinson will post his ruling to the court docket in the coming weeks.

John Paul Mac Isaac wouldn’t answer NBC News’ questions as he arrived to court.

Biden attorney Abbe Lowell had no comment as he departed court.