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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Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi takes the stand

Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi took the stand as the defense's third witness.


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.


Hunter Biden's daughter, uncle are in court

As Hunter Biden's defense case gets underway, two more members of the Biden family have entered the courthouse: Naomi Biden and James Biden.

Naomi Biden is the daughter of Hunter Biden and granddaughter of President Joe Biden.

James Biden is Hunter Biden's uncle and President Biden's brother, who Hunter's attorney told the jury during opening statements paid for some of Hunter Biden's rehab and lived with him briefly afterward.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell previously suggested both James Biden and and Naomi Biden could take the stand for the defense.


Defense makes longshot motion for acquittal

After jurors left the courtroom for a break, defense attorney Abbe Lowell moved for an acquittal for by orally submitting a Rule 29 motion, citing constitutional challenges and an insufficiency of evidence.

Judge Maryellen Noreika indicated her skepticism at the longshot bid with a chortle as Lowell described the legal underpinnings of his motion.

"You're laughing," Lowell said, before joking that her "smile" suggested she was "likely skeptical."

Both Lowell and the judge agreed that one of his claims in particular was an "interesting concept."

Lowell then told the court that the first two witnesses he plans to call for the defense are Ronald Palimere, the owner of the gun shop where Hunter Biden purchased the Colt revolver at the center of the case, and Jason Turner, an employee of the store.


Jury hears ex-girlfriend's recollections of trips, drug dealers

Jurors listened attentively to the testimony of Hunter Biden's ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan, turning their chairs to face her as she recounted their monthslong relationship in 2017-2018 during his addiction.

Under questioning, she spoke of multiple-night hotel stays, trips to Atlantic City, and memories of night clubs, dinners, and drug dealers.

Evidence displayed by prosecutors during her testimony included highly personal photos she had taken during their relationship, including a photo of her and Hunter Biden in a bathtub together in California, with a crack pipe in his hand.

As Kestan testified, Hunter's current wife Melissa sat in the front row of the gallery, barely moving or reacting.

Sitting at the defense table, Hunter Biden at times rubbed his face or covered his mouth as Kestan recounted their time together and photos flashed across the screen in the courtroom.

"I felt a connection with him," Kestan told the jury.