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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Friends, family look on during Day 1 in court
Hunter Biden spent the first day of his gun trial taking notes, reading documents placed in front of him by his attorneys, and often turning to catch a glimpse of the friends and family who came to court to support him.
At one point, he nodded along as a prospective juror spoke about her friend's overdose after addiction.
Jill Biden was seated behind Hunter Biden all day, and she watched attentively as some jurors told the court that they had such a skewed view of her family that they could not be impartial. The first lady did not appear to react in those moments, but at times her daughter Ashley Biden placed her hand on the first lady's back in support.
Hunter Biden's family members also appeared to be actively involved with his defense strategy -- at one point standing up and huddling with Hunter Biden's attorneys Abbe Lowell and David Kolansky after a sidebar.
When court was dismissed, Jill Biden gave Hunter Biden a hug and a kiss before he walked out hand-in-hand with his wife.
After opening statements, FBI agent will be 1st witness
Hunter Biden and his stepmother, first lady Jill Biden, departed court at the conclusion of the day's jury selection proceedings.
With opening statements set for Tuesday, prosecutors said their first witness would be FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen, who will introduce into evidence several of Hunter Biden's text messages, as well as excerpts from his 2021 memoir, "Beautiful Things," and other evidence.
The parties had carved out three days to select a jury, which means the proceedings are currently running ahead of schedule.
Judge Maryellen Noreika told jurors they would likely need to be available for the trial through June 14, with the possibility of deliberations stretching into the week of June 17.
Jury of 6 men, 6 woman will hear openings Tuesday
A jury of six men and six women is scheduled to hear opening statements Tuesday in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.
An additional four women were chosen as the alternate jurors.
The jurors include a Secret Service retiree, a man whose father was killed by a gun, and a number of jurors whose family and friends have suffered from addiction -- a central theme in the case against Hunter Biden.
Juror No. 1 is a woman who recently heard about Hunter Biden's case on the evening news. Said said her sister is also an addict, but is "currently clean."
Juror No. 2 is a woman who worked for the Secret Service for nearly 25 years and is now retired. Her husband was a uniformed officer in Washington, D.C.
Juror No. 3 is woman who gets her news from YouTube. When asked what she has heard about the case, she said that it involves guns and drugs.
Juror No. 4 is a woman who said she feels people who smoke weed "should not be allowed" to own a gun, but said she could set that aside.
Juror No. 5 is a currently unemployed man who previously received a DUI for which he pleaded guilty.
Juror No. 6 is a man who said he previously knew about the case. He currently owns three pistols and said, "I believe the Second Amendment is very important."
Juror No. 7 is a man whose father owned a firearm. He said he knows "some" gun laws.
Juror No. 8 is a man whose father was killed by a gun in 2004. He has a brother who was arrested for drug possession and was sentenced to prison.
Juror No. 9 is a woman whose home was burglarized years ago. She purchased a gun and has had it for over 20 years.
Juror No. 10 is a man whose brother and brother-in-law both suffered from alcoholism and are now both deceased. His niece and nephew both own guns.
Juror No. 11 is a woman whose family hunts and has hunting rifles. She said her "childhood best friend" passed away from a drug overdose.
Juror No. 12 is a man whose older brother is an addict who has been to rehab multiple times for PCP and heroin. He said the brother had a gun but he was not sure when.
Jury is seated
The jury of 12 jurors and 4 alternates has been seated in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.
The panel was picked from 250 prospective jurors who arrived at the courthouse this morning for the voir dire process.
Hunter Biden 'chose to lie,' prosecutor tells jury
Government prosecutors told jurors in the trial's opening statements that they should make "no distinction for Hunter Biden or anybody else" as they weigh the gun case against the president's son.
Hunter Biden "chose to lie," prosecutor Derek Hines said, laying out the case that the defendant purchased a gun while knowing he was an addict and drug user.
Hines said Hunter Biden bought the firearm from a gun seller who will testify as a witness that the younger Biden filled out form 4473 -- consenting to a federal background check -- and certified that he understood the form. The prosecution said it will show Hunter Biden "bought a gun and lied during a background check."
The man who sold Hunter Biden the gun will testify that he watched the defendant fill out the form.
The gun was then "taken by someone concerned he had a gun. That person was Halle Biden," Hines said, referring to Hunter Biden's romantic partner at the time.
Halle Biden disposed of the gun in a dumpster, where it was retrieved by a man who will also be a witness called by the government.
"The police were called" when Halle Biden went to retrieve the gun, Hines said.
Hines, in his opening, said evidence will show that "Hunter Biden knew he was a drug user and a drug addict" when he filled out the form.
Hines cited Hunter Biden's memoir, "Beautiful Things," in which he wrote he had a "superpower of buying crack anywhere, anytime."
In text messages presented by the prosecution, Hunter Biden acknowledged, "I am an addict."