Hunter Biden found guilty in a felony firearms trial.
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| On June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware, Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, leaves the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building. Biden is being tried for felonies related to firearms. |
- At his gun trial in Delaware, a jury found Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, guilty on all three criminal counts.
- Biden was accused with offenses pertaining to the acquisition and ownership of a firearm while abusing and becoming dependent on illicit substances.
- The decision was made less than a month after Donald Trump, Joe Biden's rival in the 2024 presidential contest, was found guilty in a criminal hush money case in New York.
President Joe Biden's son Hunter was found guilty on all three charges during his criminal gun trial on Tuesday morning in Delaware federal court by a jury.
Hunter Biden, 54, was found guilty of using a handgun while under the influence of drugs, as well as making false statements in connection with the sale of firearms and in transactions involving firearms.
The felonies stem from his October 2018 purchase of a Colt Cobra handgun from a Delaware gun store when he was abusing and dependent on crack cocaine.
Allegedly falsifying on a federally mandated document he filled out in connection with that sale, Biden—who has admitted to being an alcohol and cocaine addict—said he was not an addict or unlawful user of narcotic drugs.
He is the first kid of an American president currently in office to face criminal charges. Biden is the subject of another ongoing criminal case in Los Angeles related to federal tax offenses.
A New York state court found former President Donald Trump guilty of falsifying business records pertaining to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, nearly three weeks before Trump—who will run against President Biden in November—was found guilty of the same crime.
Just eight days after the trial started and after barely three hours of deliberations, Hunter Biden turned to face the jury and gave a small nod of approval as three guilty verdicts were read.
Following the announcement of the verdict, his aunt Valerie Biden Owens and First Lady Jill Biden both attended the courtroom.
Melissa Cohen Biden, Biden's wife, was present when the verdict was announced.
At Delaware's Air National Guard Base in New Castle, President Biden's son met him upon his arrival after he took a plane there later on Tuesday.
Following a trial that featured testimony from his third romantic ex-partner, Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother Beau Biden, and his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, the verdict was rendered.
Eleven days after Hunter bought the revolver, Hallie Biden, who testified before jurors that she had tried crack cocaine at his encouragement while in a love involvement with him, discovered it in his car. According to her testimony, she threw the gun outside of a grocery store.
"I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome," Biden stated in a statement on Tuesday.
"I am fortunate to be able to experience God's grace one day at a time through recovery," Biden remarked.
Following instructions from Judge Maryellen Noreika and final arguments from the prosecution and Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, the jury started deliberations on Monday afternoon.
Biden's sentence date will be determined later, according to Noreika.
For two of the felony offenses, Biden may get a maximum term of ten years in jail; for the third count, the maximum sentence is five years in prison.
Biden faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 10 years on two of the felony counts and a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison on the third count.
Special counsel David Weiss, whose office prosecuted Biden, at a news conference said, “Ultimately, this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States, including Hunter Biden.”
“This case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction, his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun and the choice to then possess that gun,” Weiss said. “It was these choices and the combination of guns and drugs that made his conduct dangerous.”
law," stated the prosecutor. "Everyone, including this defendant, has to take responsibility for their acts. Hunter Biden ought to face the same consequences as any other person found guilty of the same offenses. The prosecution has been and will remain dedicated to upholding its obligations and adhering to the federal prosecution principles.
In a statement, Biden's attorney Lowell stated, "We are naturally disappointed by today's verdict."
"As we have done throughout this case, we respect the jury process and will continue to vigorously pursue all available legal challenges for Hunter," Lowell stated.
On Tuesday afternoon, President Biden is scheduled to appear at an event regarding gun control.
The president stated to ABC News last week that if his son was found guilty in this matter, he would not grant him a pardon.
"As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad," the Trump said in a statement regarding Hunter's conviction on Tuesday.
President Biden remarked, "Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today." "Seeing someone you love overcome addiction and emerge triumphantly in recovery is a source of great pride for countless families who have lost loved ones to the disease.
The president declared, "As I also stated last week, I will accept the result of this case and will continue to respect the legal system as Hunter considers an appeal." "Hunter and the rest of our family have our undying love and support," said Jill. That won't ever change for anything.
Hunter Biden faces separate charges in federal court in Los Angeles for not filing taxes on income exceeding $1.4 million over a period of time.
Two months before his father runs against Republican Trump in the election, he is scheduled to go on trial in that case in September.
The Manhattan Supreme Court is set to sentence Trump in the hush money case on July 11.He was found guilty on 34 felony counts, and the maximum term for each conviction is four years in jail.
