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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Chemist testifies about substance on gun's pouch
Chemist Jason Brewer, testifying as an expert witness for the prosecution, told the jury that a brown leather pouch that contained Hunter Biden's gun at the time the weapon was retrieved by authorities tested positive for cocaine.
Brewer said there were "minimal amounts of white powder" on two locations on the pouch, which he combined and tested.
On cross-examination, Hunter Biden's attorney sought to raise doubts about how that white powder got there and who put it there -- emphasizing it could have been old, dating back to before Hunter Biden purchased the gun.
"You can't date when it got there?" defense attorney David Kolansky asked.
"I cannot," Brewer said.
Kolansky also emphasized that five years went by from the time the pouch was collected in October 2018 to when it was tested in October 2023 -- after the indictment in this case was already filed.
He emphasized the importance of the "chain of command," which Brewer conceded was "very important."
Earlier, Hunter Biden's former girlfriend Hallie Biden testified that she put the gun in the pouch, which she found in Hunter Biden's vehicle, after she discovered the weapon in the vehicle and before she disposed of it in a trash container.
Government calls FBI chemist to the stand
Proceedings resumed this morning with the government calling FBI chemist Dr. Jason Brewer to the stand.
Brewer is testifying as an expert witness.
Prosecutors said they would then call a DEA officer as their final witness.
First lady returns to trial
First lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden's stepmother, is in attendance at the trial this morning.
She returned from France, where she was accompanying President Joe Biden on a trip to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
She had attended the trial each day until making the trip to France.
Hunter Biden arrives at courthouse
Hunter Biden has arrived at the courthouse for Day 5 of the trial.
He was accompanied as usual by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.
Prosecution set to rest its case
The government is expected to rest its case against Hunter Biden this morning after calling its final witnesses.
After that, it will be the defense's turn. Attorneys for Hunter Biden indicated earlier this week that they intend to call Hunter Biden's daughter Naomi to the stand, and also suggested that James Biden, the uncle of Hunter Biden and the brother of President Joe Biden, would testify.
Whether Hunter Biden takes the stand in his own defense remains an open question.
If he does not, defense attorney Abbe Lowell said he would likely rest his case on Monday, meaning jurors could be deliberating as soon as Tuesday.