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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President Biden to go to Wilmington

President Joe Biden's schedule has been updated and he will now travel to Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday afternoon.

The president was originally scheduled to remain in Washington, D.C., but will instead head to Wilmington where he makes his home and where his son's trial just concluded.


Special counsel says Garland gave him independence to investigate

Special counsel David Weiss, whose office prosecuted Hunter Biden, said following the verdict that Hunter Biden should be held no more accountable than any other citizen regarding the charges.

Weiss said while much of the testimony in the case was about Hunter Biden's abuse of drugs and alcohol, "Ultimately this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States including Hunter Biden's."

This case was about "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 possess that gun," he said.

It was also about "the rule of law," Weiss said. "No one in this country is above the law," he said.

Weiss, a Trump appointee, thanked Attorney General Merrick Garland for "ensuring that we have the independence to appropriately pursue our investigations and prosecutions."


Trial was 'waste of taxpayers' dollars,' juror tells ABC News

A member of the jury that found Hunter Biden guilty told ABC News after the verdict that the trial was a "waste of taxpayers' dollars."

"I just think he needs help. He needs rehab," the juror told ABC News regarding the defendant. "In my opinion, this is a waste of taxpayers' dollars. They should have fined him."

Asked what she thinks a fair sentence would be, the juror said, "I don't think that anyone who is a nonviolent drug addict should be in prison. Just fine him. We know he did something wrong. Just fine him. He needs help."

She said the jurors "worked together really well."

"Considering who his father is and the political climate in this country, it turned out better than I expected," she said. "There was no fighting in the jury room."

Judge Maryellen Noreika said before court ended that she would schedule a sentencing date in the next 120 days. Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though legal experts believe he will not serve time as a first-time and nonviolent offender.

-ABC News' Mark Guarino


Hunter Biden says he's more grateful than disappointed

Hunter Biden said in a statement after the verdict that he's "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," referencing his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.

"Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time," he said.

Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement, "We are naturally disappointed by today's verdict. We respect the jury process, and as we have done throughout this case, we will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter."


Defense says Hunter Biden wasn't addict at time of purchase

Hunter Biden's attorney sought to cast doubt on the government's narrative during his opening statement, claiming that Hunter Biden was not actively using drugs at the time of his gun purchase and therefore did not "knowingly" lie on the federal form barring drug users from procuring a firearm.

"He did not knowingly violate these laws," attorney Abbe Lowell said, since there was "nothing on the form about the definition of a user."

Lowell told the jury that Hunter Biden was using alcohol at the time of the gun purchase, but that his drug use "did not start until later."

The attorney said that while Hunter Biden was in Delaware, where he purchased the gun, his behavior was "totally inconsistent" with how he presented it when he was on drugs.

"He spoke with his father, his uncle, his daughters," Lowell said, suggesting they would have noticed if he was "smoking crack every 15 minutes," as he described in his 2021 memoir, "Beautiful Things."

"There is no such thing as a high-functioning crack addict," Lowell said.

Lowell told the jury that Hunter Biden had entered a 12-day rehab program in California before returning to Delaware in the fall of 2018, just a week before the gun purchase, shepherded by his "Uncle Jimmy Biden," who Lowell suggested will testify at trial.

Lowell also pushed back on one of the government's key pieces of evidence -- a text Hunter sent to his then-romantic partner Halle Biden days after purchasing the gun, in which he claimed to be "on a car" smoking crack. Prosecutors said this was evidence that he was using drugs at the time, but Lowell said that, "in reality, he did not want to see Hallie."

As part of the defense, Lowell also appeared to shift some blame to the owners and employees at the gun store where Hunter Biden purchased the gun, saying they "wanted to make a sale."

Lowell claimed that Hunter Biden first purchased a BB gun and a knife at the store, and only purchased the gun after they approached him.

"Hunter wouldn't have known what a speedloader was," said Lowell, who also claimed the salesman never "took Hunter through" the form to ensure he understood it.

"How quickly does a person check through those boxes?" Lowell asked jurors.

Lowell also pushed back on allegations involving the gun pouch that was found with the firearm after Hallie Biden threw the gun it in a dumpster. Prosecutors allege that the pouch had cocaine residue on it, but Lowell said it was never checked for fingerprints and called into question its chain of custody.

"Hunter has never asked anyone to excuse his mistakes," Lowell said, before asking jurors to find him not guilty.

As Lowell delivered his opening statement, first lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden's wife Melissa Cohen Biden, and his half-sister Ashley Biden sat largely stoic in the gallery. Hunter Biden kept his eyes on Lowell and his hands clasped. Jurors paid close attention, with several taking notes.