Hunter Biden gun trial: 'Politics never came into play,' juror says after guilty verdict
The president's son was convicted of unlawfully purchasing a firearm.
President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden has been found guilty on three felony counts related to his purchase of a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs.
The younger Biden, who pleaded not guilty last October after being indicted by special counsel David Weiss, denied the charges. The son of a sitting president had never before faced a criminal trial.
The trial came on the heels of former President Donald Trump's conviction on felony charges related to a hush money payment made to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
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Hunter Biden's daughter, uncle are in court
As Hunter Biden's defense case gets underway, two more members of the Biden family have entered the courthouse: Naomi Biden and James Biden.
Naomi Biden is the daughter of Hunter Biden and granddaughter of President Joe Biden.
James Biden is Hunter Biden's uncle and President Biden's brother, who Hunter's attorney told the jury during opening statements paid for some of Hunter Biden's rehab and lived with him briefly afterward.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell previously suggested both James Biden and and Naomi Biden could take the stand for the defense.
Defense makes longshot motion for acquittal
After jurors left the courtroom for a break, defense attorney Abbe Lowell moved for an acquittal for by orally submitting a Rule 29 motion, citing constitutional challenges and an insufficiency of evidence.
Judge Maryellen Noreika indicated her skepticism at the longshot bid with a chortle as Lowell described the legal underpinnings of his motion.
"You're laughing," Lowell said, before joking that her "smile" suggested she was "likely skeptical."
Both Lowell and the judge agreed that one of his claims in particular was an "interesting concept."
Lowell then told the court that the first two witnesses he plans to call for the defense are Ronald Palimere, the owner of the gun shop where Hunter Biden purchased the Colt revolver at the center of the case, and Jason Turner, an employee of the store.
Government rests its case
Prosecutors have rested their case against President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden.
The defense is scheduled to present its case next.
Defense attorneys have said they could possibly wrap up their case by Monday, in which case jurors could begin deliberations as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday.
DEA agent testifies about drug references in texts
DEA special agent Joshua Romig took the stand to testify as an expert in the "coded language" used in drug trafficking.
He analyzed the language used in some of Hunter Biden's text messages, some of which appeared to be drug transactions.
First lady Jill Biden, back in the courtroom this morning, looked on as Romig testified.
Special counsel David Weiss, who brought the case against Hunter Biden, is also in court today.
Defense calls government's case 'conjecture and suspicion'
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell, in his closing argument, urged jurors to dispense with the government's "conjecture and suspicion" and find his client not guilty on all three counts.
"We have had Hunter's life in our hands" until now, Lowell said, referring to his legal team. "And now we have to give it to you."
Lowell repeatedly referred to prosecutors' case as a "magicians' trick" -- to "watch this hand and pay no attention to that one," as he said -- arguing that prosecutors failed to "fill in the gaps" about Hunter Biden's drug use around the time of his firearm purchase "because they don't have the proof."
Lowell also referred to prosecutors' strategy of showing Hunter Biden's pattern of drug use as an "accordion," meant to "compress" the timeline and make it seem to jurors that he was actively using drugs in October 2018, when he said on a government form that he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun.
The defense attorney also attacked some of the tactics prosecutors used, calling their treatment of Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi Biden "extraordinarily cruel" and saying that many of their questions and evidence were introduced with the intention of "embarrassing Hunter."
He also asked jurors to recall gaps in the recollections of Hunter Biden's then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, and suggested they should remember the immunity agreement she struck with prosecutors for her testimony.
"These are serious charges that will change Hunter's life," he said of the three felony charges the president's son faces, adding that "it's time to end this case."
Following Lowell's closing, the government was scheduled to have a short rebuttal, at which point the judge was to finish her jury instructions before the jury gets the case.