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.
Jury begins deliberations
The jury has begun deliberations on the three felony counts Hunter Biden faces in his federal gun case.
Prior to the jury getting the case, the government rebutted defense attorney Abbe Lowell's closing argument by asserting again that Hunter Biden was a drug addict when he bought the gun at the center of the case and that he knew it -- beyond a reasonable doubt.
There are "seven ways to Sunday" to show Hunter Biden was an addict and it was "preposterous" that he -- a "Yale-educated lawyer" -- didn't know he was buying a gun while knowingly addicted, prosecutor Derek Hines argued.
Hines rebutted Lowell's characterization of the government's treatment of Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi Biden as "cruel."
Naomi Biden was "completely uncomfortable" because "she couldn't vouch for the defendant's sobriety," Hines argued.
Hines closed by saying that if the jury doesn't determine Hunter Biden is a crack addict based on the evidence in the case, "then no one is a crack addict of unlawful use."
Judge Maryellen Noreika then delivered the final portion of her instructions and sent jurors to begin their deliberations.
The judge indicated that she would not keep jurors past 4:30 or 4:45 p.m. ET today.