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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FBI witness returns to witness stand

After a lengthy sidebar, overflow room cameras suddenly turned on to show prosecutors questioning a previous witness, FBI agent Erika Jensen, suggesting that the defense has rested its case and prosecutors are introducing a rebuttal case before the trial moves on to closing arguments.

If so, that would indicate that Hunter Biden did not testify in his own defense.


Judge reviews motions regarding jury instructions

This morning's proceedings are underway.

Judge Maryellen Noreika began by reviewing with both parties motions by the defense to change proposed jury instructions.

The jury is expected to be brought back into court at 9 a.m. ET.


Hunter Biden arrives at courthouse

Hunter Biden has arrived at the courthouse for Day 6 of his federal gun trial, accompanied by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.

First lady Jill Biden arrived shortly afterward.

President Joe Biden's brother James Biden and sister Valerie Biden also arrived.

The two waited outside until the court opened at 8 a.m. ET.


The big question: Will Hunter Biden take the stand this morning?

As the second week of Hunter Biden's gun trial gets underway this morning, defense attorneys will confront their most consequential decision: whether to put their client on the witness stand.

To allow Hunter Biden to testify in his own defense would carry myriad risks, as the president's son would likely face a grueling cross-examination from a prosecution team that has shows itself adept at eliciting testimony supporting their central contention in the case -- that Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs at the time he purchased the handgun at heart of the case.

Jurors witnessed that on Friday, when Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, struggled to explain text messages she sent her father in October 2018 after he had purchased the gun -- in which she seemed to express concern about his addiction, despite testifying moments earlier about how "great" her father seemed at the time.

If Hunter Biden decides not to take the stand, jurors could possibly have the case by the end of the day, after closing arguments and jury instructions.

Court is scheduled to get underway earlier than usual today, at 8:15 a.m. E.T.


Witness acknowledges Hunter Biden's drug use was not continuous

Attorneys for Hunter Biden, in their cross-examination of FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen, attempted to push back on prosecutors' contention that Hunter Biden was abusing drugs at the time he said on a gun-purchase form that he was drug-free.

A key piece of evidence comes from Hunter Biden's 2021 memoir, in which he described his "relapse" just weeks after leaving rehab in August -- just six weeks before purchasing the firearm.

"I stayed clean for two weeks then relapsed," Hunter Biden wrote in his book.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell, on cross-examination, questioned the assumption that Hunter Biden's relapse implied that he was referring to his drug use -- suggesting instead that he was referring to his alcohol addiction.

"When he was referring to that in his book, was he talking about relapsing to drugs and alcohol, or do you know what he meant?" Lowell asked.

"I can only state what was stated," Jensen said.

"Which is, 'Then I relapsed?'" Lowell asked.

"Just what it says, 'I relapsed,'" Jensen replied.

Jensen also acknowledged that she could not verify that Hunter Biden was continuously using drugs from 2015 to 2019, saying, "My recollection is that there are excerpts where he was principally occupied with smoking crack cocaine. I didn't get the sense that it was the entire history."

"Meaning that there were periods of time that he was not?" Lowell asked.

"I think there -- including the period in August where we have some invoices for rehab, that there were periods where there was not," Jensen said.

It was an important moment for the defense, as Lowell managed to establish that Hunter Biden's use of drugs was not consistent -- cuing up his argument that the president's son was not on drugs at the time of his firearm purchase.

Prosecutors also entered into evidence records related to enormous cash withdrawals Hunter Biden made -- more than $150,000 from September through November of 2018, including a $5,000 withdrawal on the day he purchased the gun. Prosecutors suggested this cash was used to procure drugs; Lowell, on cross-examination, established that Hunter Biden paid $900 in cash for the weapon and accessories.

Court was subsequently recessed for the day, with Lowell's cross-examination of Jensen scheduled to resume Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors suggested that Hallie Biden would be the next witness after Jensen, making it likely that the first Biden family member to testify will take the stand at some point tomorrow.