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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Judge reads initial jury instructions
Following the prosecution's rebuttal case, the judge read the jury their initial instructions.
Court is then expected to break for lunch, with closing arguments currently scheduled for the afternoon.
The judge will then give the jury their final instructions before they begin deliberations.
Prosecutors rest rebuttal case
The government rested its rebuttal case after a brief cross-examination of FBI special agent Erika Jensen, who testified about location and text message data relevant to the case.
Attorneys then gathered for another sidebar conference.
FBI witness returns to witness stand
After a lengthy sidebar, overflow room cameras suddenly turned on to show prosecutors questioning a previous witness, FBI agent Erika Jensen, suggesting that the defense has rested its case and prosecutors are introducing a rebuttal case before the trial moves on to closing arguments.
If so, that would indicate that Hunter Biden did not testify in his own defense.
Judge reviews motions regarding jury instructions
This morning's proceedings are underway.
Judge Maryellen Noreika began by reviewing with both parties motions by the defense to change proposed jury instructions.
The jury is expected to be brought back into court at 9 a.m. ET.
Gun store employee pressed on how ID was recorded on form
Jason Turner, an employee at the gun shop that sold Hunter Biden the Colt revolver at the center of the case, corroborated on the stand clerk Gordon Cleveland's earlier testimony of the sequence of events that occurred in the store when Hunter Biden filled out the ATF form and purchased the gun.
Turner, who appeared defensive and confrontational during some of his testimony, testified that he never spoke to Hunter Biden.
When shown the ATF Form 4473 that Hunter Biden filled out, Turner said Hunter Biden provided his car registration as an alternate form of ID because the passport he provided did not have an address.
The defense said in court papers filed earlier that confusion over how Hunter Biden's form of ID was recorded on the ATF form raised questions about "who wrote what on the form, and when."
When defense attorney Abbe Lowell, questioning Turner, highlighted the box on the form that asks for the type of alternate ID, it was blank.
"When I wrote that out, I wrote 'car registration,'" Turner said. "It's not there," he testified.
Lowell also pressed Turner on what he was doing after Hunter Biden's background check came back until the firearm was purchased.
"I would have put on my ritual tone and sat in a marble room," Turner said sarcastically.
Ron Palmieri, the owner of the gun store, then took the stand.