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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Jury reaches verdict
The jury in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial has reached a verdict after several hours of deliberation.
The parties are being summoned to the courtroom for the reading of the verdict on the three counts Hunter Biden faces.
The president's son faces two counts related to false statements in purchasing the firearm at the center of the case, and a third count of illegally obtaining a firearm while addicted to drugs.
Jury resumes deliberations
The jury has resumed its deliberations in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.
Before sending them back to deliberate, Judge Maryellen Noreika asked jurors if they had discussed the case with anyone.
They all promised that they had not.
Hunter Biden arrives in court
Hunter Biden entered the Wilmington, Delaware, courthouse as jurors prepared to resume deliberations in his federal gun trial.
He was accompanied, as he has been each day of the trial, by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.
Jury to resume deliberations
The 12 jury members who for the past week heard vivid and personal details about President Joe Biden's family are set to continue their deliberations this morning in the federal gun trial of his son, Hunter Biden.
In their closing arguments yesterday, prosecutors argued that Hunter Biden lied on a federal gun-purchase form when he said he was not a drug addict, telling jurors "if this evidence did not establish that Hunter Biden was a crack addict and an unlawful user, then no one is a crack addict or an unlawful user."
But defense attorney Abbe Lowell urged the jury to acquit his client, telling them, "We have had Hunter's life in our hands. And now we have to give it to you."
If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison -- though legal experts believe he would not serve time due to his being a first-time, nonviolent offender.
Deliberations are scheduled to resume today at 9 a.m. ET.
Evidence supports 'only one verdict' prosecutor tells jury
Prosecutor Leo Wise used witness testimony and Hunter Biden's own words from his memoir and text messages to argue that the president's son "knew exactly what he was doing" when prosecutors say he falsely claimed he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun in 2018.
"Take the defendant's word for it," Wise said as he showed the jury excerpts from Hunter Biden's book that described his drug use and addiction.
Wise, showing the jurors a side-by-side comparison of testimony regarding his truck from his daughter Naomi Biden and then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, said their testimony is "circumstantial evidence " that shows "the defendant used crack in the truck" days after purchasing the firearm.
Naomi Biden testified that she returned the truck to her father "clean" on Oct. 19, 2018, and Hallie Biden testified that a few days later she found Hunter Biden's gun in the vehicle along with drug paraphernalia and drug remnants.
Wise also showed the jury a calendar of the month of October 2018 that showed the cash withdrawals made by Hunter Biden. "None of the cash was for rehab," Wise said.
The evidence, Wise told jurors in conclusion, "supports only one verdict."
Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell then began his closing arguments.