Hunter Biden, son of United States President Joe Biden, was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of lying about his drug use to illegally purchase a gun, a verdict that Democrats are expected to use to counter the former president’s arguments. and Republican candidate for President of the United States, Donald Trump, that the American Judiciary is being used as a weapon against him.
A jury in Wilmington, Delaware, found Hunter Biden guilty of all three charges against him, making him the first son of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime.
The verdict of the 12-member jury must be unanimous on each charge.
Hunter Biden, 54, nodded slightly after the verdict was read, but showed no reaction. He then patted his lawyer Abbe Lowell on the back and hugged another member of his legal team.
He then left the court without making any statement.
His father, Joe Biden, issued a statement saying he accepted the outcome of the case and would respect the judicial process while his son considered an appeal.
The judge did not set a sentencing date, but added that the timeline is generally 120 days. That would put it at most a month before the November 5 US presidential election.
Sentencing guidelines for gun charges are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases generally receive shorter sentences and are less likely to be incarcerated if they meet the terms of their pretrial release.
About 61% of registered voters who responded to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in February said Hunter Biden’s legal troubles would have no impact on their decision to vote for his father in November. The poll showed that voters are divided over whether Hunter Biden’s legal troubles are related to his father’s service as president.
The trial follows the criminal conviction on May 30 of Trump, the first former US president to be convicted of a crime and who will challenge Biden in his re-election bid in the US presidential election scheduled for November 5 this year.
Trump, convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal, accuses Democrats of using this case and three other criminal cases he faces to prevent him from returning to the presidency in his rematch with Joe Biden.
Congressional Democrats point to cases, including Hunter Biden’s lawsuit, as proof that Joe Biden is not using the Judiciary for political or personal purposes, having said last week that he would not use the instrument of pardon if his son was convicted.
In a statement on Tuesday, Joe Biden said: “As I said last week, I am the president, but I am also a father. Jill and I love our son and are so proud of the man he is today. Many families who have had loved ones struggle with addiction understand the feeling of pride in seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”
“As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and continue to respect the judicial process while Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will change that.”
Hunter Biden’s case was brought by US Department of Justice special counsel David Weiss, appointed by Trump.
Weiss also accused Hunter Biden of three felonies and six tax misdemeanors in California, alleging he failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, escorts, exotic cars and other expensive items.
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to these charges. A trial is scheduled for September 5 in Los Angeles.
The trial in Delaware included testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, ex-girlfriend and sister-in-law, who gave firsthand accounts of his spiraling addiction in the weeks before and after purchasing the gun in October 2018.
Prosecutors also showed text messages, photos and bank records that they said showed Biden was deep in addiction when he bought the gun and knowingly broke the law by answering “no” to a government screening form as a user of drugs.
Biden’s lawyers tried to show that he was not using drugs when he bought the gun and did not intend to deceive because he did not consider himself a drug user when he filled out the form.
The defense called Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden, who testified that her father appeared to be fine when she saw him shortly before and after he purchased the gun.
By Tom Hals and Jack Queen
2024-06-12 00:23:13