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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No sentencing date set

Hunter Biden sat expressionless as a court officer read the jury’s verdict form aloud to the court. After the third "guilty" rang over the courtroom speakers, he turned and hugged a member of his legal team and remained seated until jurors stood to leave.

Prosecutors Leo Wise and Derek Hines sat equally motionless throughout the short proceeding.

After Judge Maryellen Noreika excused jurors, she said she would get back in touch with the parties to schedule a sentencing date in the next 120 days. Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though legal experts believe he would not serve time as a first-time and nonviolent offender.


Hunter Biden found guilty on all 3 counts

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all three counts in his federal gun case.

He stands convicted of two counts related to false statements in purchasing the firearm at the center of the case, for saying on a federal gun-purchase form that he was not addicted to drugs at the time of the purchase, and a third count of illegally obtaining a firearm while addicted to drugs.


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.


Hallie Biden testifies about Hunter Biden's drug use

Hunter Biden's former romantic partner Hallie Biden told jurors that Hunter Biden was "tired, exhausted, and looked like he hadn't slept" on the evening of Oct. 22 or early morning of Oct. 23, 2018, when he arrived at her home in Wilmington to sleep.

She observed that he "could've been" on drugs when she saw him -- just hours before she found his newly purchased Colt Cobra revolver in his car and discarded it in a dumpster.

"I went to clean out his car and his stuff" as he slept in her home, in hopes that when he awoke they could "start anew and deal with stuff," she testified, referring to his addiction to "both" drugs and alcohol.

The testimony didn't appear to be quite the smoking gun sought by prosecutors, who are trying to prove Hunter Biden was using crack at the time of his firearm purchase on Oct. 12 -- one of the central questions in the case.

Hallie Biden, who is the widow of Hunter Biden's late brother Beau Biden, testified that earlier in 2018 she also became addicted to crack after Hunter Biden introduced her to the drug -- but that she is now clean.

"It was a terrible experience I went through," she said, adding that she was "embarrassed and ashamed, and I regret that period of my life."