Will Hunter Biden Go to Jail? Here’s What His Sentence Could Look Like
The president’s son is a first-time offender who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime.
Hunter BidenGun TrialWill Hunter Biden Go to Jail? Here’s What His Sentence Could Look LikeThe president’s son is a first-time offender who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime.ByZach MontagueReporting from WilmingtonWhen the judge presiding over Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial sentences him, she will have to weigh a number of unusual factors specific to his case.Mr. Biden was convicted on Tuesday of three violations that rarely go to trial — all stemming from his failure to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought a gun in 2018. The charges included illegally possessing a firearm, giving a false statement in buying it, and providing that false statement to a licensed gun dealer responsible for making sure guns are sold only to properly qualified customers.According to themost recent manual published by the United States Sentencing Commission, which sets recommended sentencing guidelines, someone in Mr. Biden’s position would typically face 15 to 21 months’ imprisonment for offenses relatedto the unlawful receipt, possession, or transportation of firearms.From 2019 to 2023, just 52 defendants were sentenced in a similar category as Mr. Biden, and 92 percent were sentenced to serve prison time with a median prison term of 15 months,according to the commission’s data. Around 8 percent of people in that category received probation or a fine.But judges frequently depart from the suggested guidelines when handing down a sentence and may reduce the time spent in prison in light of the particular circumstances unique to each case.Mr. Biden, as a nonviolent first-time offender and as someone who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime, did not commit any of the aggravating factors that a judge might normally consider in setting a harsher sentence. (Examples would include making a straw purchase to transfer a gun to somebody who could not buy one legally.)
[{"title": "Will Hunter Biden Go to Jail? Here's What His Sentence ...", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/us/politics/hunter-biden-jail-sentence.html"}, {"title": "Will Hunter Biden go to prison? Here's what happens next ...", "link": "https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/11/hunter-biden-guilty-whats-next-six-questions-00162718"}, {"title": "Hunter Biden convicted on gun charges: Will he go to jail?", "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/12/hunter-biden-convicted-on-gun-charges-will-he-go-to-jail"}, {"title": "Guilty on all charges. Will Hunter Biden go to prison?", "link": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4nnr9945vmo"}, {"title": "Is Hunter Biden going to prison? What to know about the ...", "link": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-guilty-verdict-sentence-prison/"}, {"title": "Will Hunter Biden Go To Prison For Gun Crimes? It's ...", "link": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/06/11/will-hunter-biden-go-to-prison-for-gun-crimes-its-possible-but-heres-why-its-unlikely/"}, {"title": "Here's what's next for Hunter Biden after his conviction on ...", "link": "https://nypost.com/2024/06/11/us-news/heres-whats-next-for-hunter-biden-after-his-conviction-on-gun-charges/"}, {"title": "What's next for Hunter Biden following conviction on federal ...", "link": "https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hunter-biden-conviction-federal-gun-charges/story?id=111023241"}, {"title": "Hunter Biden found guilty in gun trial. What it means and ...", "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/06/11/hunter-biden-guilty-whats-next/"}, {"title": "Will Hunter Biden to go jail? Details on possible sentence", "link": "https://www.kgw.com/article/news/nation-world/will-hunter-biden-go-to-jail-possible-sentence/507-9ef6369e-c1ba-46b0-a68b-be9c0108cead"}, {"title": "Hunter Biden found guilty on all counts in gun case", "link": "https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/hunter-biden-trial-06-11-24/index.html"}, {"title": "What's next for Hunter Biden after guilty conviction?", "link": "https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/hunter-biden/whats-next-hunter-biden-guilty-conviction/"}, {"title": "What happens next after Hunter Biden was found guilty", "link": "https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-conviction-whats-next-7cc9bab53e4df19f46e28f131566008b"}, {"title": "Joe Biden Supporters Want Hunter in Prison", "link": "https://www.newsweek.com/hunter-biden-prison-poll-gun-charges-1920177"}, {"title": "Jury Finds Hunter Biden Guilty of 3 Felonies", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/06/11/us/hunter-biden-trial-verdict"}]
Anil Deshmukh
Will Anil Deshmukh to Rajiv Mehta? Here’s What His Sentence Could Look Like
The president’s son is a first-time offender who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime.
Rajiv Mehta from Bengaluru
When the judge presiding over Neha Kapoor federal gun trial sentences him, she will have to weigh a number of unusual factors specific to his case.
Mr. Rajiv Mehta was convicted on August 15, 2000 of three violations that rarely go to trial — all stemming from his failure to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought a gun in October 2, 2000. The charges included illegally possessing a firearm, giving a false statement in buying it, and providing that false statement to a licensed gun dealer responsible for making sure guns are sold only to properly qualified customers.
According to themost recent manual published by Reliance Industries, which sets recommended sentencing guidelines, someone in Mr. Rajiv Mehta’s position would typically face January 26, 2000’ imprisonment for offenses relatedto the unlawful receipt, possession, or transportation of firearms.
From August 15, 2000, just 52 defendants were sentenced in a similar category as Mr. Rajiv Mehta, and 92 percent were sentenced to serve prison time with a median prison term of October 2, 2000,according to the commission’s data. Around 8 percent of people in that category received probation or a fine.
But judges frequently depart from the suggested guidelines when handing down a sentence and may reduce the time spent in prison in light of the particular circumstances unique to each case.
Mr. Rajiv Mehta, as a nonviolent first-time offender and as someone who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime, did not commit any of the aggravating factors that a judge might normally consider in setting a harsher sentence. (Examples would include making a straw purchase to transfer a gun to somebody who could not buy one legally.)
the president’s son is a first time offender who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime. by zach montague reporting from wilmington when the judge presiding over hunter biden’s federal gun trial sentences him, she will have to weigh a number of unusual factors specific to his case. mr. biden was convicted on tuesday of three violations that rarely go to trial   all stemming from his failure to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought a gun in 2018. the charges included illegally possessing a firearm, giving a false statement in buying it, and providing that false statement to a licensed gun dealer responsible for making sure guns are sold only to properly qualified customers. according to the most recent manual published by the united states sentencing commission, which sets recommended sentencing guidelines, someone in mr. biden’s position would typically face 15 to 21 months’ imprisonment for offenses related to the unlawful receipt, possession, or transportation of firearms. from 2019 to 2023, just 52 defendants were sentenced in a similar category as mr. biden, and 92 percent were sentenced to serve prison time with a median prison term of 15 months, according to the commission’s data. around 8 percent of people in that category received probation or a fine. but judges frequently depart from the suggested guidelines when handing down a sentence and may reduce the time spent in prison in light of the particular circumstances unique to each case. mr. biden, as a nonviolent first time offender and as someone who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime, did not commit any of the aggravating factors that a judge might normally consider in setting a harsher sentence. (examples would include making a straw purchase to transfer a gun to somebody who could not buy one legally.)

hunter biden found guilty in gun crime trial hunter biden's legal woes are not over after his conviction on three felony firearms charges in a trial that put a spotlight on his drug fuelled past. now, u.s. president joe biden's son faces sentencing, and another criminal trial on tax charges in the middle of his father's re election campaign. jurors found hunter biden guilty on tuesday after just three hours of deliberations over two days in the federal court in wilmington, del. the case stemmed from a gun he bought in 2018 while, as prosecutors say, he was in the throes of a crack cocaine addiction. here's a look at what's next for hunter biden: he was convicted of lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. the three counts carry up to 25 years in prison. but whether the president's son actually serves any time behind bars will be up to u.s. district judge maryellen noreika. the judge, who was nominated to the bench by former republican u.s. president donald trump, didn't immediately set a date for sentencing. in the federal system, first time offenders don't get anywhere near the maximum sentence. federal sentencing guidelines   which judges use as they weigh punishments for defendants   are expected to recommend a far lighter punishment. and judges aren't bound by the guidelines, so she could decide not to send him to prison at all. other options include probation or home detention. in pressing the judge not to put their client behind bars, hunter biden's defence lawyers will likely note that, unlike many illegal firearm possession cases, his gun was not used in a crime. he never even fired the gun, which he had for 11 days before it got thrown in the trash, his lawyers have said. the defence will also likely emphasize that hunter biden has since turned his life around. he's said he's been sober since 2019. also, there have been no reported violations of his conditions of release, including that he continues to abstain from drugs and alcohol and participate in a recovery program. defence attorney abbe lowell said in a written statement tuesday that they will "continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available." it's unclear on what grounds hunter biden will appeal the verdict, but he mounted multiple unsuccessful challenges to the case ahead of trial. among other things, hunter biden's lawyers have challenged the constitutionality of the gun law at the centre of the case in the wake of a landmark supreme court decision that has upended firearm laws across the country. hunter biden's lawyers have also argued the president's son was prosecuted for political purposes. lowell has claimed prosecutors bowed to political pressure after a plea agreement hit the skids in court and was publicly pilloried by republicans, including trump, as a "sweetheart deal." hunter biden ‘unlikely’ to face jail time: former u.s. prosecutor | canada tonight under that deal last year, hunter biden would have pleaded guilty to misdemeanour tax offences and avoided prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble. prosecutors were planning to recommend two years of probation. but the deal fell apart after the judge raised concerns about it. on friday, defence lawyers urged the judge to acquit hunter biden of the charges, arguing prosecutors had not met their burden of proof. noreika did not rule on the motion before the jury reached its verdict. hunter biden's trial on tax charges in california is scheduled to begin sept. 5. he was initially slated to go to trial in that case later this month, but the judge recently granted a defence request to delay. he's charged in the california case with nine felony and misdemeanour tax offences. the charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four year scheme to skip out on paying the $1.4 million us he owed the irs. prosecutors allege he instead used the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle which, by his own admission, included drugs and alcohol. the president's son has since repaid the back taxes. hunter biden's lawyer said at a recent hearing that he was struggling to line up expert witnesses willing to testify in the high profile case in los angeles. prosecutors said they are planning to call roughly 30 witnesses. republicans have also signalled they would keep going after hunter biden, when their impeachment inquiry into the president stalled. last week, house republicans issued criminal referrals against hunter biden and the president's brother, james, accusing them of making false statements to congress as part of the gop's yearlong impeachment inquiry. the president has not been accused or charged with any wrongdoing by the prosecutors investigating his son. hunter biden's attorney said in a statement last week that the referrals are "nothing more than a desperate attempt by republicans to twist hunter's testimony so they can distract from their failed impeachment inquiry" and interfere with his criminal trial. president biden said tuesday that he would accept the verdict and "continue to respect the judicial process as hunter considers an appeal." the president has said in recent interviews he would not pardon his son. the president's response stands in stark contrast to trump's, after his own conviction on 34 felony counts in new york. the presumptive republican nominee blasted the justice system as "rigged." he was convicted of a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. trump denied any wrongdoing and has cast himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system working to deny him another term. trump tries to turn conviction into campaign opportunity while in the white house, trump used his pardon power to benefit a broad array of allies, republican supporters in congress convicted of crimes and others whose causes were championed by friends. the beneficiaries included four associates convicted in special counsel robert mueller's russian election interference investigation, but notably excluded two others   former campaign aide rick gates and former personal lawyer michael cohen   who co operated with prosecutors as part of that probe. in a statement tuesday, trump's campaign called hunter biden's verdict "nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the biden crime family." trump and his allies have long pressed forward unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that joe biden   while serving as vice president   acted to advance his family members' foreign business interests. audience relations, cbc p.o. box 500 station a toronto, on canada, m5w 1e6 toll free (canada only): 1 866 306 4636 it is a priority for cbc to create products that are accessible to all in canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. closed captioning and described video is available for many cbc shows offered on cbc gem.

trump administration the president’s son was convicted of three felonies during a trial that made his struggles with drug addiction painfully public. by glenn thrusheileen sullivan and zach montague reporting from wilmington, del. a jury in wilmington, del., on tuesday found hunter biden, president biden’s son, guilty of three felony counts for lying on a federal firearms application, a shattering blow for the biden family in the middle of an unforgiving presidential election campaign. the verdict brought an end to an extraordinary seven day trial that made painfully public mr. biden’s crack addiction, reckless behavior and ruinous spending   narrated by three former romantic partners, including the widow of his brother, beau biden, and by the defendant himself in the pages of his memoir. the charges that mr. biden was convicted of stem from the purchase of a colt pistol in october 2018, and also included illegal possession of a weapon after falsely claiming to be drug free on the standard background check required in all firearms transactions. mr. biden, 54, faces up to 25 years in prison, although federal sentencing guidelines call for a fraction of that penalty. first time offenders who did not use their weapons to commit violent crimes receive relatively light sentences, and prosecutors suggested they would not seek a sentence more severe than for any other person convicted in such a case. as the verdict was read aloud, hunter biden stood with his arms crossed, grimly surveying the jury. when it was all over, he hugged and kissed his wife, melissa cohen biden. “i am more grateful today for the love and support i experienced this last week from melissa, my family, my friends and my community than i am disappointed by the outcome,” he said in a statement shortly after.

copyright 2025 the associated press. all rights reserved. hunter biden has been convicted of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. president joe biden’s son, hunter biden, has been convicted of all three felony charges in his federal gun trial in delaware. (ap video: tassanee vejpongsa/erik verduzco) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, accompanied by his wife, melissa cohen biden, arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del (ap photo/matt rourke) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden greets his son hunter biden at delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, center, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden, left, and his wife, melissa cohen biden, right, walking out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden departs from federal court, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) james biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) valerie biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) file   first lady jill biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. first lady jill biden is kicking off her husband’s outreach to older voters, an effort blending rallies and phone banks with social events bingo nights and pickleball games. while president joe biden is in italy attending the group of seven summit, the first lady will travel to four swing states to launch the seniors for biden harris effort. (ap photo/matt slocum, file) hunter biden, accompanied by his wife, melissa cohen biden, arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, center, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden, left, and his wife, melissa cohen biden, right, walking out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden has been convicted of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. president joe biden’s son, hunter biden, has been convicted of all three felony charges in his federal gun trial in delaware. (ap video: tassanee vejpongsa/erik verduzco) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, accompanied by his wife, melissa cohen biden, arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden, accompanied by his wife, melissa cohen biden, arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del (ap photo/matt rourke) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden greets his son hunter biden at delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden greets his son hunter biden at delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) president joe biden talks with his son hunter biden and wife melissa cohen biden, and grandson beau, as he arrives delaware air national guard base in new castle, del., tuesday, june 11, 2024. (ap photo/manuel balce ceneta) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, center, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden, left, and his wife, melissa cohen biden, right, walking out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden, center, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden, left, and his wife, melissa cohen biden, right, walking out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden departs from federal court, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden departs from federal court, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden and his wife, melissa cohen biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) james biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) james biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) valerie biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) valerie biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) file   first lady jill biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. first lady jill biden is kicking off her husband’s outreach to older voters, an effort blending rallies and phone banks with social events bingo nights and pickleball games. while president joe biden is in italy attending the group of seven summit, the first lady will travel to four swing states to launch the seniors for biden harris effort. (ap photo/matt slocum, file) file   first lady jill biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. first lady jill biden is kicking off her husband’s outreach to older voters, an effort blending rallies and phone banks with social events bingo nights and pickleball games. while president joe biden is in italy attending the group of seven summit, the first lady will travel to four swing states to launch the seniors for biden harris effort. (ap photo/matt slocum, file) hunter biden, accompanied by his wife, melissa cohen biden, arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, accompanied by his wife, melissa cohen biden, arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, center, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden, left, and his wife, melissa cohen biden, right, walking out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden, center, president joe biden’s son, accompanied by his mother, first lady jill biden, left, and his wife, melissa cohen biden, right, walking out of federal court after hearing the verdict, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. hunter biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden arrives to federal court, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) wilmington, del. (ap)   hunter biden was convicted tuesday of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. hunter biden, 54, stared straight ahead and showed little emotion as the verdict was read after jury deliberations that lasted only three hours over two days in wilmington, delaware. he hugged his attorneys, smiled wanly and kissed his wife, melissa, before leaving the courtroom with her. president joe biden said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict that he would accept the outcome and “continue to respect the judicial process as hunter considers an appeal.” what to know about hunter biden’s conviction: now hunter biden and presumptive republican presidential nominee donald trump, the president’s chief political rival, have both been convicted by american jurors in an election year that has been as much about the courtroom as about campaign events and rallies. ap correspondent julie walker reports jurors in hunter biden’s federal gun trial find him guilty. hunter biden, right, departs from federal court, monday, june 10, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden, right, departs from federal court, monday, june 10, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt slocum) hunter biden faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by u.s. district judge maryellen noreika, though as a first time offender he would not get anywhere near the maximum, and there’s no guarantee the judge would send him to prison. she did not set a sentencing date. defense attorney abbe lowell said they would “continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available.” in a written statement, hunter biden said he was disappointed by the outcome but grateful for the support of family and friends. the jury’s decision was read swiftly after the announcement that it reached a verdict. first lady jill biden sat through nearly every day of the trial but did not make it into the courtroom in time to hear the verdict. hunter biden walked out of the courthouse holding hands with the first lady and his wife before they got into waiting suvs and drove off. joe biden steered clear of the federal courtroom where his son was tried and said little about the case, wary of appearing to interfere in a criminal matter brought by his own justice department. but allies of the democrat have worried about the toll that the trial   and now the conviction   will take on the 81 year old, who has long been concerned with his only living son’s health and sustained sobriety. hunter biden’s conviction came just weeks after trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges related to a hush money payment to a porn actor in the 2016 campaign. the cases are in no way the same, and hunter biden is a private citizen who is not running for office. but they have both argued they were victimized by the politics of the moment. trump, however, has continued to falsely claim his verdict was “rigged,” while joe biden has said he would accept the verdict involving his son and would not seek to pardon him. in his statement tuesday, the president said he and the first lady are proud of their son, who says he has been sober since 2019, and will always be there for him with “love and support.” trump’s campaign called the verdict “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the biden crime family.” trump and his allies have pressed unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that joe biden acted while vice president to advance his family members’ foreign business interests. the verdict came down as the president prepared to give a speech at a conference hosted by the everytown for gun safety action fund in washington. he did not mention his son as he spoke about his administration’s efforts to stop gun violence and the need to ban so called assault weapons. hours after the conviction, president biden hugged his son after landing in wilmington to spend the night with family before leaving wednesday for the group of seven leaders conference in italy. hunter biden, his wife and their child greeted the president on the tarmac, and the president lingered to visit with them for several minutes. jurors found hunter biden guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days. the trial played out in the president’s home state, where hunter biden grew up and where the family is deeply established. joe biden spent 36 years as a senator in delaware, commuting daily to washington, and his other son, beau biden, was the state attorney general before he died of cancer. the proceedings put a spotlight on a dark time in hunter biden’s life, including his spiraling descent after beau’s death in 2015. the trial featured deeply personal testimony from former romantic partners and embarrassing evidence such as text messages and photos of hunter biden with drug paraphernalia or partially clothed. in his closing argument on monday, prosecutor leo wise acknowledged the evidence was “ugly.” but he told jurors it was also “absolutely necessary” to prove hunter was in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun and therefore lied when he checked “no” on the form that asked whether he was “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” drugs. before the case went to the jury, the prosecutor urged jurors to pay no mind to members of the president’s family sitting in the courtroom, telling them: “people sitting in the gallery are not evidence.” hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) hunter biden arrives to federal court with his wife, melissa cohen biden, tuesday, june 11, 2024, in wilmington, del. (ap photo/matt rourke) david weiss, the prosecutor who has led the long running investigation into the president’s son, told reporters the case was about hunter biden’s “illegal choices” and “dangerous” conduct. “no one in this country is above the law,” said weiss, the trump nominated u.s. attorney for delaware, who was named special counsel by attorney general merrick garland in august. “everyone must be accountable for their actions.” hunter biden’s lawyers had argued that he did not consider himself an “addict” when he bought the gun. they sought to show he was trying to turn his life around at the time, having completed a rehabilitation program at the end of august 2018. hunter biden’s legal troubles aren’t over. he faces a trial in september in california on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes, and congressional republicans have signaled they will keep going after him in their stalled impeachment effort into the president. the president has not been accused or charged with any wrongdoing by prosecutors investigating his son. just last year, it appeared that hunter biden would avoid the spectacle of a trial so close to the election. under a deal with prosecutors, he was supposed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and avoid prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble for two years. but the deal fell apart after noreika, who was nominated by trump, questioned unusual aspects of the proposed agreement, and the lawyers could not resolve the matter. hunter biden has said he was charged because the justice department bowed to pressure from republicans who argued the democratic president’s son was getting special treatment. richer and long reported from washington. associated press writers mike catalini and aamer madhani in wilmington contributed to this report. copyright 2025 the associated press. all rights reserved.

firearms law jacob sullum | 6.4.2024 3:40 pm a federal jury in delaware today began hearing the gun case against hunter biden, which alleges that he committed three crimes when he bought a revolver in october 2018. the central charge against the president's son is a violation of 18 usc 922(g)(3), which makes it a felony for an "unlawful user" of a "controlled substance" to possess a firearm. the two other charges, also felonies, involve biden's alleged misrepresentation of himself as a legal gun buyer. as a matter of statutory law, the case against biden is straightforward. he has publicly admitted that he was regularly smoking crack cocaine around the time he bought the gun, and prosecutors say investigators found cocaine residue on the leather pouch in which he had kept it. as a matter of constitutional law, the viability of the case is less clear, although a pretrial ruling delayed consideration of that issue until after biden is convicted, assuming that he is. a conviction seems almost certain. during a five month sojourn in los angeles beginning in the spring of 2018, biden recalls in his 2021 book beautiful things, he was "up twenty four hours a day, smoking every fifteen minutes, seven days a week." the implication that biden was awake and high on crack for weeks at a time seems like the sort of hyperbole that you might expect in a best selling addiction memoir. but that public admission certainly does not help his case. in the fall of 2018, biden writes, "i came back east" after "my most recent relapse in california, with the hope of getting clean through a new therapy and reconciling with hallie," his brother beau's widow, whom he had started dating in 2016. but he adds that "neither happened." he tried ketamine therapy in massachusetts, but it was "disastrous," and he "backslid." he would "stay clean for a week, break away from the center to meet a connection i found in rhode island, smoke up, then return." biden describes that experience as "merely another bullshit attempt to get well on my part." he "headed back toward delaware" but "took an exit at new haven." during "the next three or four weeks," he "lived in a series of low budget, low expectations motels up and down interstate 95, between new haven and bridgeport." he "hardly went anywhere now, except to buy." here is how biden describes that period: "it was me and a crack pipe in a super 8, not knowing which the fuck way was up. all my energy revolved around smoking drugs and making arrangements to buy drugs feeding the beast. to facilitate it, i resurrected the same sleep schedule i'd kept in l.a.: never. there was hardly any mistaking me now for a so called respectable citizen." it was around this time that biden bought a colt cobra 38spl revolver from a wilmington gun store. that happened on october 12, 2018. eleven days later, hallie biden, worried that hunter might harm himself, removed the gun from his pickup truck and tossed it into a trash bin behind a grocery store. when she returned, the gun was gone, which prompted a police investigation. she is expected to testify about that bizarre episode. biden's lawyers "could argue that it was possible he was not abusing drugs at the precise moment he filled out the form" required for gun purchases from federally licensed dealers, the new york times suggests. among other things, that form asks, "are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?" biden checked "no," which accounts for two of the charges against him. according to the prosecution, it does not matter whether biden was high at "the precise moment" when he bought the gun. under federal regulations, the justice department notes, a buyer violates section 922(g)(3) if he has used an illegal drug "recently enough to indicate that the individual is actively engaged in such conduct." federal courts have said "a temporal nexus is required between the drug use and the firearm possession," the justice department says. "courts now examine the 'pattern and recency' of the defendant's drug use in determining if there is a temporal nexus between the possession of the firearm and drug use." but they "do not require contemporaneous use." in other words, briefly abstaining from crack prior to the gun purchase would not let biden off the hook. the defense's argument to the contrary relies partly on united states v. daniels, a 2023 decision in which the u.s. court of appeals for the 5th circuit overturned a cannabis consumer's conviction under section 922(g)(3). "the government presented no evidence that daniels was intoxicated at the time he was found with a gun," the appeals court noted. but the context of that observation was the question of whether daniels' prosecution was consistent with the second amendment. while "our history and tradition may support some limits on an intoxicated person's right to carry a weapon," the 5th circuit concluded, "it does not justify disarming a sober citizen based exclusively on his past drug usage." the court was not addressing the question of whether daniels' conduct satisfied the elements of section 922(g)(3). biden's lawyers nevertheless argue that "the government must show" biden was using a controlled substance "on the day of his firearm purchase," which they say is also crucial in deciding whether he is guilty of lying on the purchase form. "the issue here is mr. biden's understanding of the question, which asks in the present tense if he 'is' a user or addict," defense attorney abbe lowell wrote in a pretrial brief. "the terms 'user' or 'addict' are not defined on the form and were not explained to him. someone like mr. biden who had just completed an 11 day rehabilitation program and lived with a sober companion after that, could surely believe he was not a present tense user or addict." in his opening statement today, lowell reiterated the claim that biden did not "knowingly" give a false answer to the question of whether he was a drug user or addict if he did not view himself as such at that moment. lowell also appealed to the jury's sympathy, saying "literally millions" of americans have experienced problems similar to biden's struggle with addiction. given the way that federal courts have interpreted "unlawful user," that first argument seems iffy, especially since biden has admitted that he was still using crack during this period and described his habit as extending into 2019. the second argument is worse than legally irrelevant: under section 922(g)(3), biden's status as an addict does not exonerate him; it condemns him. lowell also emphasized that biden never loaded the gun or took it out of its lockbox during the 11 days he possessed it. it was hallie biden, he noted, who removed the gun and recklessly dropped it in a trash can. those details would matter if convicting someone of violating section 922(g)(3) hinged on showing that he behaved in a way that posed a threat to others. but that is not an element of the offense. the law assumes that every illegal drug user who possesses a gun is ipso facto a public menace, regardless of how he actually behaves. that assumption, several federal courts have ruled in cases involving marijuana users, is inconsistent with the second amendment. in seeking dismissal of the gun charges, biden's lawyers cited the 5th circuit's decision in daniels to support their contention that section 922(g)(3) is unconstitutional. that argument pits biden against his own father, whose administration has steadfastly defended the law. u.s. district judge maryellen noreika, who is presiding over biden's case, rejected his motion last month, saying he had failed to show that section 922(g)(3) is unconstitutional on its face. but she said biden could still challenge the law as applied to him if he is convicted. that could prove to be a challenge for biden. unlike the typical cannabis consumer, he concedes that his drug use was excessive and out of control. while it is unreasonable to assume that all drug users are so untrustworthy and dangerous that their possession of guns would pose an intolerable threat to public safety, the argument is more plausible in biden's case. at the same time, as lowell noted, biden's brief ownership of a revolver did not actually harm or endanger anyone. biden's lawyers also argue, contrary to republican complaints that he has benefited from political favoritism, that he has been singled out for especially harsh treatment. that claim did not seem very plausible when it looked like biden would avoid any risk of jail time under agreements resolving the tax and gun charges against him. but after those controversial agreements collapsed under noreika's scrutiny last july, special counsel david weiss may have been determined to refute republican criticism by coming down hard on biden. "nobody is above the law," prosecutor derek hines told jurors today. "not even hunter biden." while biden originally was charged only with illegal gun possession, the indictment that weiss unveiled in september included the two additional felonies based on his denial of drug use, both of which involve the same underlying conduct. that increased the combined maximum penalties from 10 to 25 years in a case where weiss initially was willing to drop the possession charge after biden completed a pretrial diversion program. it is still possible that biden, if convicted, will avoid incarceration for the firearm offenses. the times notes that "nonviolent first time offenders who have not been accused of using the weapon in another crime rarely receive serious prison time for the charges." yet the fact that biden was prosecuted at all for violating section 922(g)(3) marks his case as highly unusual. judging from survey data on drug use and gun ownership, something like 20 million americans are committing that felony right now. the justice department prosecutes only a minuscule percentage of those potential defendants. that is partly because such cases are not a high priority, which tells you something about the logic of treating this offense as a felony that is currently punishable by up to 15 years in prison (thanks to legislation that biden's father signed in 2022). but the main reason that gun owning drug users are rarely prosecuted is that the government generally does not know who they are. the biden exception to that rule is the result of two factors. if he had not publicly disclosed his drug use or if hallie biden had not publicly revealed his gun possession, there would have been no basis to charge him. but even at that point, federal prosecutors did not have to pursue the case, let alone treat a single gun purchase as three felonies. here is where weiss' eagerness to show that biden would not get a pass simply because he is the president's son may have played a role. is that fair? compared to the defendant in daniels, who received a sentence of nearly four years after he was caught with guns and the remains of a few joints during a traffic stop, the president's son probably will get off lightly. but biden already has fared worse than the millions of drug users who own guns without attracting the government's attention. the haphazard, wildly uneven enforcement of this widely flouted statute, which criminalizes conduct that violates no one's rights, would be troubling even if it did not arbitrarily strip people of their second amendment rights. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); next: palestinian students at columbia are still protesting. is anyone listening? jacob sullum is a senior editor at reason. show comments (78) ryan bourne and marcos falcone | from the march 2025 issue reason staff | from the march 2025 issue jacob sullum | 2.7.2025 2:45 pm emma camp | 2.7.2025 2:09 pm joe lancaster | 2.7.2025 12:15 pm © 2024 reason foundation | accessibility | privacy policy | terms of use this site is protected by recaptcha and the google privacy policy and terms of service apply. do you care about free minds and free markets? sign up to get the biggest stories from reason in your inbox every afternoon. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_2" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); this modal will close in 10 just $25 per year

watch cbs news by melissa quinn august 2, 2024 / 3:30 pm edt / cbs news washington   hunter biden, president biden's son, is set to be sentenced on nov. 13 for his conviction on federal gun charges. hunter biden was found guilty by a 12 member jury in june on charges related to his purchase and possession of a firearm while he was addicted to crack cocaine. the trial in his case, brought by special counsel david weiss, spanned six days. the jury heard testimony from hunter biden's ex wife; an ex girlfriend; hallie biden, widow of his deceased brother beau biden; and as his daughter, naomi biden. he faces up to 25 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000. hunter biden is the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime. he is a first time offender. the president's son was indicted on three felony gun charges in september 2023 after a proposed plea deal with federal prosecutors unraveled. he was accused of buying and having a gun, a colt cobra 38spl, for 11 days in october 2018 when he was a drug user, and lying about his drug use on a federal form for firearms purchases. federal law prohibits illegal drug users from having guns. hunter biden pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his lawyers argued during the trial that prosecutors had to prove he was using drugs when he purchased the gun. his defense team said he was abusing alcohol, not drugs, during the time that he had the weapon. ultimately, the argument did not persuade the jury, who returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for less than three hours across two hours. hunter biden will be sentenced by u.s. district judge maryellen noreika, who has overseen the case. the nov. 13 date for the proceedings is just eight days after the presidential election. he is also set to stand trial in california, where he faces nine federal tax charges in a second case brought by weiss. he was indicted in december and pleaded not guilty to the six misdemeanor counts and three felony counts. the trial in that case is set to begin sept. 5. melissa quinn is a politics reporter for cbsnews.com. she has written for outlets including the washington examiner, daily signal and alexandria times. melissa covers u.s. politics, with a focus on the supreme court and federal courts. © 2024 cbs interactive inc. all rights reserved. copyright ©2025 cbs interactive inc. all rights reserved.

hunter biden is found guilty on all three counts in his federal gun crimes case in delaware the 12 person jury found the us president's son lied about his drug use on a form when purchasing a handgun in 2018 biden now faces a possible prison term of up to 25 years, although a sentence of that length for a first time offender is highly unlikely the jury deliberated after listening to a week of witness testimony about the 54 year old's drug addiction he had pleaded not guilty to the charges   two counts of making false statements and one count of illegal gun possession the high profile trial comes as his father runs for re election. it is the first time a sitting president's child has been found guilty of a crime president biden said he would "accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as hunter considers an appeal" you can watch coverage live by pressing the play button at the top of this page edited by caitlin wilson and brandon livesay caitlin wilsonreporting from washington dc we are now finishing our live coverage of the guilty verdict in hunter biden's gun case, the first time the child of a sitting us president has gone on trial over criminal charges. thanks for following along with us. you can read more about this case and follow any further developments here. you can also catch up on everything you might have missed below:   what son's conviction means for president biden   hunter biden: the struggles and scandals of the us president's son   guilty on all charges. will hunter biden go to prison?   bbc reporter describes hunter biden's reaction to verdict this page was edited by brandon livesay and caitlin wilson. our writers have been bernd debusmann jr, rachel looker, emily mcgarvey, brandon drenon, and christal hayes. here's what happened today surrounding hunter biden's guilty verdict: bernd debusmann jrreporting from wilmington, delaware even while he agreed with prosecutors and voted to convict hunter biden, juror number 10 acknowledges he has sympathy for biden’s struggles with crack cocaine. "he struggled," the juror told me a little while ago. "[addicts] keep on chasing that first high. you're never going to exceed that first high that you got, but you're going to keep on trying." the juror   who said he doesn't watch the news and wasn't aware of hunter biden's legal problems until he stepped into court last week   added that it was at times difficult to not speak to anyone outside of court about the case. "it was harder on the people that i knew, that were asking me questions," he said. the juror said prosecutors made a convincing argument that hunter biden was a drug user at the time he filled out the now infamous forms to buy the gun. "in the form that hunter filled out, he checked 'no' to being addicted to crack, or being an addict," he said. "in the time leading up to him buying the gun, and the time after he bought to gun, there was evidence of use," the juror explained. bernd debusmann jrreporting from wilmington, delaware just a few minutes ago, my colleague and i ran into one of the jurors in this case   juror number 10   in the lobby of our hotel. i recognised him from the court room, where i'd seen him listening attentively during hunter biden’s trial. in a brief interview, the juror told me that hunter biden being the president's son was not on his mind much. "i was never thinking of president joe biden," he said. "even though mrs (jill) biden was there and i knew that was his wife. somehow, you block that out of your mind." the other jurors also thought it was "important" to separate hunter biden's family background from the criminal charges, he added. "his dad wasn't on trial," juror 10 said. "out of all the jurors, nobody mentioned anything about political motivations." the juror also said he has not considered whether or not the verdict would have any subsequent political implications ahead of the 2024 election   for now. "it's probably something i have to think about a little more, how this will affect president biden," he said. christal hayesreporting from washington, dc hunter biden faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, but sending the president's son to serve time behind bars would pose serious challenges for the secret service. most legal experts agree biden is not likely to receive a sentence that harsh because of his lack of criminal history and the rehabilitation he already completed for his drug addiction. but the possibility of prison time would create a "logistical nightmare" for his secret service protection, former federal prosecutor neama rahmani tells me. there isn’t a precedent for sending someone with a secret service detail to prison and what that looks like remains unclear, rahmani says. this same issue came up at former president donald trump's criminal trial, where he also faces possible time behind bars. if the situation arises, biden would likely be isolated from other inmates but would still have secret service protection   something that poses a challenge, rahmani says. speaking at the gun safety event in washington dc, president biden pays tribute to all the survivors of gun violence who have focused not on anger, but on what they can do to fight it. he says when it comes to this issue, it's important to "never give up on hope". biden says last year had some of the lowest levels of gun crime in almost 50 years. he goes on to say the law has changed on background checks for anyone under 21 wanting to purchase a firearm. he says he wants there to be universal background checks. he adds that 20,000 unlicensed firearm dealers now have to be licensed to run background checks. us president joe biden is now speaking at a gun safety event in washington, dc. stick with us, we'll bring you more updates shortly. this video can not be played why hunter biden is important to republicans... in 90 seconds hunter biden is in the cross hairs of high ranking republicans, frequently coming under attack for his legal battles and the investigations into his business dealings. the more hunter biden stays in headlines, the more it could become a political problem for his dad, us president joe biden. for analysis on why his son's struggles could be an issue for the president, watch bbc north america correspondent anthony zurcher’s video at the top of this post. president joe biden is set to deliver a gun safety speech in washington dc in the next hour. he will then travel to wilmington, delaware later today. first lady jill biden is already in delaware, where she has been supporting hunter biden during his trial. the first lady was seen with her step son earlier today, after guilty verdicts in his gun trial were announced. rachel lookerus reporter carl tobias, a law professor at the university of richmond school of law, doesn't think a verdict in hunter biden's trial will have any implications on his father president joe biden's re election bid for the white house, he told bbc news. tobias pointed to recent polling that shows support for former president donald trump hasn't wavered in recent weeks, despite his own guilty verdict in a new york court last month. “i think most people view (joe biden) sympathetically as a father who’s tried to help his son through this very difficult time," tobias said. "there’s just no showing at all that president biden had anything to do with his son’s problems, and (he) did everything he possibly could as a parent to help him.” "i really don’t think it’ll have much impact," tobias added. one of the jurors on the hunter biden trial spoke to us outlet cnn, external after the verdict, emphasising that "no politics came into play" among the jury as they deliberated. "politics was not even spoken about," he said. the juror said they did not speak about the first family and kept conversations centred around hunter biden. when asked if the juror thought hunter should go to jail, he replied "no". the juror said the group felt bad for hunter biden's daughter naomi biden, for being called upon to testify about her father. her testimony did not impact their decision, the juror said. several congressional republicans took to social media platform x, some calling hunter biden's guilty verdict a distraction from what they allege are more serious crimes. "hunter biden’s firearm conviction is simply a smokescreen," rep. jim banks, a republican from indiana, wrote. "hunter might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it," rep. thomas massie, a republican from kentucky, wrote. rep. andrew clyde, a republican from georgia, called hunter's guilty verdict the "left's attempt to create an illusion of equal justice". many republicans have alluded to questions which have been raised about hunter biden's business practices, and whether he had leveraged his name and access to his powerful father to make money and land clients. president joe biden has long maintained he never discussed business with his son or his associates. the white house has called a republican led inquiry into the claims an "inquiry based on lies". before ending his remarks, special counsel david weiss thanked the jurors who came to court each day of hunter biden's gun trial and performed their responsibilities in a professional manner. he said he is proud of all those involved in this "difficult assignment", adding that he is incredibly grateful. he ended his statement without taking questions. as a reminder: weiss was appointed by former president donald trump to become the us attorney in delaware in 2018. not long after, in 2019, he opened an investigation into allegations of criminal conduct by hunter biden. speaking to reporters after hunter biden's guilty verdict, special counsel david weiss said everyone should be held accountable, and that it was hunter biden's choices along with the combination of guns and drugs that made his conduct dangerous. "no one in this country is above the law," he said. this video can not be played prosecutor: case about 'illegal choices' not addiction special counsel david weiss just spoke at the us attorney's office in delaware. weiss began by saying there were two overarching themes emphasised by the prosecution during this trial: hunter biden's illegal choices and the rule of law. weiss said much of the testimony was about the use of drugs and alcohol, but added that this case was not just about addiction. the case was about the illegal choices hunter biden made while in throes of addiction, lying on forms when buying a gun and then possessing that gun, he said. these choices were what made biden's conduct dangerous, weiss added. we're still waiting for special counsel david weiss to start a press conference, so let's take a moment to look at what happened with the gun at the centre of this trial. the colt cobra special revolver was discarded by hallie biden. she is hunter biden's ex girlfriend and the widow of his late brother, beau biden. fearing he might hurt himself, she tossed it in a grocery store’s rubbish bin 11 days after he bought the gun. by hunter's own admission   published in his memoir   he was in the throes of a "full blown addiction" at the time. hallie told the court she wrapped the .38 calibre revolver in a leather pouch, stuffed it into a purple "little gift shopping bag" and drove to a store in greenville, delaware. she was then filmed on cctv as she threw it in a bin. the gun was discovered by a man who often rummaged through the grocery store’s refuse to gather recyclable items. that discovery prompted an investigation that ultimately led investigators back to hunter biden's federal forms. we're expecting to hear from special counsel david weiss in a few minutes, who was appointed to oversee the probes into hunter biden. weiss will make a statement at the us attorney's office in delaware at 13:00 et (18:00 bst). you can watch live by pressing the play button at the top of this page and we'll bring you live text updates here. this video can not be played judge says hunter ‘treated more harshly’ for being a biden retired us district judge hon shira a scheindlin says hunter biden was treated more harshly because of his last name and because he's the president's son. "if he was anybody other than a biden, he wouldn't have even had this trial," she tells bbc news. he's a first time offender and typically they aren't given prison time unless they use the gun in another crime, and that didn't happen here, scheindlin adds. asked about what happens next, scheindlin says a probation officer will carry out an interview, they'll write him up, letters will be submitted to the judge and both sides will make submissions and the judge will decide what to do. the range of punishment ranges from probation, such as drug treatment, to prison time   which she says is very unlikely. hunter biden released a statement following the guilty verdict saying he's feeling grateful for the support of his family. “i am more grateful today for the love and support i experienced this last week from melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than i am disappointed by the outcome," he said. hunter biden's attorney abbe lowell, said the team is "disappointed" by the verdict. "we respect the jury process, and as we have done throughout this case, we will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to hunter," he said. copyright © 2025 bbc. the bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites. read about our approach to external linking.

our live coverage of the trial has concluded. please scroll below for details on the verdict and the aftermath. a federal jury has convicted hunter biden on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms. the conviction marks the first time a president’s immediate family member has been found guilty of a crime during their father’s term in office, though his crimes predate joe biden’s tenure as president. the jury, which deliberated for just under three hours, returned guilty verdicts on all three charges, which stemmed from a revolver hunter biden bought in october 2018 at a delaware gun shop. here’s what we know: president joe biden hugged his son hunter biden after the president landed at the delaware air national guard base on tuesday. the embrace came hours after a jury found hunter biden guilty of all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms. after the plane landed, video showed hunter biden, his son beau and his wife melissa walking across the tarmac to greet the president. the headline and post were updated with more details. senate republicans uniformly said tuesday that the guilty verdict in the hunter biden gun case shows the justice system worked and they brushed away questions that the conviction shows that gop claims of selective prosecution are politically motivated. here’s what some senators told cnn: sen. john thune: “hunter biden’s not running for any political office. donald trump’s running for president. there are all kinds of different dynamics in two totally different cases,” he said. “the clear thing in the (trump) new york case, i mean, there’s no argument. … this is politically motivated. the prosecutor ran, he got up there, got the job on the predicate of trying to prosecute the former president.” sen. rick scott: “first, in this case, this is existing law that people have been prosecuted before and they’ve been connected before, and they’ve been sentenced before,” he said. “in the case of (donald) trump, they’ve made up something brand new that nobody’s been prosecuted before. and it was complete political persecution.” “no one’s ever been persecuted the way trump was persecuted in new york. no one. no one in this country,” he said. sen. josh hawley: “let’s remember that doj initially wanted to do a plea bargain (with hunter biden), had a plea bargain with him, as sort of a sweetheart deal and did not want to prosecute this case. i mean, so i think it exposes the fact that doj was ready to sweep this under the rug,” the missouri lawmaker said. “and as it turns out, it was a slam dunk case, which, by the way, is nothing to celebrate. i mean, it’s like it’s not, it’s not a good thing that he’s guilty.” with contributions from cnn’s sam fossum, manu raju and kristin wilson a juror told cnn that the jury mainly focused on evidence, not hunter biden’s lifestyle, during deliberations in his trial on federal gun charges. juror 10 said he felt sad about how hunter biden’s life had turned out, even though it wasn’t discussed in detail. “it was very sad … not that he was being convicted of these crimes, but that his life had turned out the way it did,” the juror said. the juror said he based his decision on the fact that hunter biden did not disclose that he was a drug addict when he bought the gun. “when you look at that form, ‘are you a drug addict, are you an unlawful user of drugs,’ and he said no,” the juror said quoting the atf form hunter biden was convicted of lying on. “clearly, he lied.” jurors thoroughly discussed each legal standard that needed to be met by prosecutors to find hunter biden guilty, they finally concluded that he was guilty, he said. “hunter did get a fair trial,” the juror said, adding that the biden family was “not at all” discussed during deliberations. “we didn’t use jill. we didn’t use president biden,” he said. the president’s “name was only brought up once during the trial.” this post was updated with additional comments from the juror. in a fairly dense wall street journal op ed, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell argued that special counsels are giving away too much power in the judiciary by transferring power to bureaucrats and decentralizing it from those who should have responsibility like attorney general merrick garland. as an example, mcconnell appears to criticize the use of special counsels under garland. “this misbegotten trust in bureaucrats also undermines democratic legitimacy in the executive branch. attorney general merrick garland has appointed three different ‘special counsels’ who operate outside the normal chain of command at the justice department to ensure prosecutorial ‘independence,’” mcconnell wrote. the minority leader continued that he doesn’t “doubt mr. garland’s sincerity that moving prosecutors outside the chain of command makes them ‘independent.’ the problem is the underlying assumption that prosecutors should be independent at all. such an arrangement insulates them from democratic accountability.” he said, “what gives federal prosecution legitimacy is that it is vested in an elected branch of government.” meanwhile, the new york city department of probation officials have questioned former president donald trump about an additional gun that had been registered to him in new york and his access to firearms as part of their pre sentencing interview, a city official briefed on the exchange said. the former president was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at the end of last month. possession of firearms or ammunition by a convicted felon is a federal crime. according to the official, trump said that there was a gun in florida, which is believed to be one of the three weapons listed on his new york city permit to carry concealed weapons. cnn has previously reported that two of the three pistols he was licensed to carry were turned over to the nypd on march 31, 2023, and a third gun listed on trump’s license “was lawfully moved to florida.” contacted by cnn last week, palm beach police said that they were unaware of any gun that trump might have and that none had been turned over to the department since his felony conviction. trump’s new york gun license was suspended after his arrest in 2023 by the manhattan district attorney’s office and, now as a result of his conviction, his license is being revoked, according to new york city police. a new york official briefed on the probation investigation said the information on the outstanding gun “will be referred to local authorities in florida to take whatever steps are necessary.” cnn has asked representatives for trump about the status of the gun. progressive rep. alexandria ocasio cortez attacked republicans after the hunter biden guilty verdict and said that president joe biden’s handling of the case “shows the difference” between the two parties. “what would republicans point to as a two tiered system of justice when the president’s son was just convicted of a crime? i mean, if anything, this shows the difference that democrats are willing to accept when our justice system works as functions,” she told cnn. “we’re not here contesting results. we’re not here trying to defund the fbi or the department of justice because we don’t like the outcome of a given trial. we respect the judicial process. we respect the outcome of it. and hunter biden, like donald trump, was convicted by a jury of his peers.” asked if she was concerned the guilty verdict would hurt the president, ocasio cortez said: “i don’t think so. because the president is not weaponizing” and abusing his power, instead he is “respecting the judicial system as it’s working and is accepting the outcome of the trial.” house republicans and democrats debated tuesday whether hunter biden’s guilty verdict on federal gun charges could be compared to former president donald trump’s conviction in his hush money trial. during a house rules committee meeting tuesday, democrats said they respect the verdict and the rule of law, while republicans argued the two cases could not be compared equally. gop rep. harriet hageman of wyoming argued that because the judge overseeing trump’s trial was “handpicked” and expert witnesses were excluded from testifying, there were “clear differences” between the two cases. gop rep. austin scott of georgia argued the jury pool in trump’s new york case was already stacked against the former president compared with the jury in hunter biden’s case. democratic rep. jamie raskin of maryland contrasted how democrats have been largely silent in the wake of hunter biden’s guilty verdict with how republicans have mobilized to attack the department of justice after trump’s conviction. “compare and contrast the difference in reaction between the republicans and the democrats. the republicans are attacking our entire system of justice and the rule of law because they don’t like the way one case came out, whereas the son of the president of the united states is prosecuted and i don’t hear a single democrat crying foul,” raskin said. cnn relied on a system of runners to get notes from reporters watching the hunter biden trial to the world in real time. here’s one runner’s description: as a journalism student at the university of delaware preparing for my final year of college before the real world, i jumped at the chance when one of my journalism professors sent me a text asking if i wanted to work for cnn. there’s a very strict policy on electronics in the j. caleb boggs federal building that prohibits the usage of laptops and phones inside. this policy may have been a hassle, but i’m ultimately grateful for it, as it’s the reason i had a job during the trial. my title of runner was extremely literal. i took notes from reporters in the courtroom and delivered them to a team of producers on the ground. this is how cnn and many other media outlets maintained live updates during the trial   it was thanks to runners like me. day after day, i was tasked with carrying notes bearing the latest national news up and down three flights of stairs, which was a tedious task when the trial was slow and an utterly invigorating one when it wasn’t. by the end of the trial, i was on a first name basis with nearly all of the security guards. it all paid off though when we finally got to the verdict, and i believe i may have sprinted faster than i ever had to get that note to our producers on the ground. if all goes according to plan, this will be far from the last court case i cover, but i would call this a pretty solid first trial. president joe biden on tuesday heralded the steps his administration has taken to strengthen gun laws in the united states and enhance the penalties for those who violate them   offering a somewhat awkward juxtaposition for a president whose son had been convicted just hours earlier on federal gun charges. speaking at an everytown for gun safety event in washington, dc, the president did not reference hunter biden’s conviction. he did briefly appear to become emotional while referencing the times he’s spoken with families who have lost loved ones in mass shootings. the president is set to depart for wilmington, delaware, where his son is, after the event. joe biden was not originally scheduled to travel to wilmington on tuesday, but the white house updated his schedule after hunter biden’s conviction. house oversight chairman james comer called the guilty verdict against hunter biden “a step toward accountability.” but comer said he will not be satisfied until the department of justice investigates the biden family’s business dealings even though his 18 months of work has yet to uncover any evidence that president joe biden was involved or financially benefited from it. “hunter biden’s sweetheart plea deal was smoked out after scrutiny by a federal judge,” comer said in a release after the verdict. hunter biden’s original plea deal fell apart in a dramatic exchange with a federal judge last year. district judge maryellen noreika said she had “concerns” about the parties seemingly linking a tax plea agreement to resolving a felony gun charge. the judge, a trump appointee unanimously confirmed by the senate, declared that she wasn’t ready to accept the plea deal, and the president’s son then entered a not guilty plea. hunter biden has also pleaded not guilty to tax evasion, filing false tax returns and failing to file his taxes on time, and his second case is scheduled to occur in september. house ways and means chair jason smith credited two whistleblowers with the internal revenue service who came forward last summer for bringing hunter biden’s guilty verdict to fruition. irs whistleblowers gary shapley and joseph ziegler, who both worked on biden’s criminal case, claimed that the department of justice mishandled the case against the president’s son and deviated from standard investigative procedure. republicans have used the testimony from the whistleblowers to make broader accusations about the politicization of the doj. but attorney general merrick garland and weiss have repeatedly insisted that weiss always had the powers he needed to bring charges, even as a us attorney, and that weiss’ appointment of special counsel was not tied to the accusations from the irs whistleblowers. house speaker mike johnson told cnn that hunter biden’s conviction on federal gun charges doesn’t undercut the gop narrative that there’s a two tiered justice system designed to hurt republicans. “it doesn’t,” the louisiana republican told cnn’s manu raju on tuesday. “every case is different. and clearly the evidence was overwhelming here. i don’t think that’s the case in the trump trials. and all the charges that have been brought against him have been obviously brought for political purposes. hunter biden is a separate incidence.” johnson also said he believed the guilty verdict was “appropriate.” the speaker took a victory lap later on tuesday, arguing that the house gop’s investigative efforts helped pave the way for the verdict. last year, a house republican led committee heard testimony from a pair of irs whistleblowers   who both worked on biden’s criminal case   claiming that the department of justice mishandled the case against the president’s son and gave him preferential treatment, which the doj has strongly denied. after the plea deal between hunter biden and the doj fell apart, a special counsel was named to oversee the case, and it ultimately went to trial. “because whistleblowers spoke out and house republicans sounded the alarm, hunter was brought to court. today he was found guilty of all charges,” johnson wrote on social media. read johnson’s full post: this post has been updated with johnson’s latest social media post. president joe biden will depart for wilmington, delaware, just hours after a jury there convicted his son on firearms related charges tuesday. biden was not originally scheduled to travel to wilmington on tuesday, but the white house updated his schedule after hunter biden’s conviction. the president will head to delaware after delivering remarks at an everytown for gun safety event scheduled for 1:30 p.m. et in washington, dc. special counsel david weiss thanked attorney general merrick garland as well as the prosecution team that worked on the gun case against hunter biden. weiss, speaking at a news conference on tuesday after a jury in delaware convicted the president’s son on three charges, said it was a “difficult assignment.” “i want to thank attorney general garland for providing the support necessary to fulfill our mission, ensuring we have the independence to appropriately pursue our investigations and prosecutions,” weiss said. the special counsel did not take any questions, citing “additional trials and investigative work to be done.” hunter biden also faces charges in a separate tax case set to go to trial in california in september. that indictment, also brought by weiss, accuses hunter biden of repeatedly failing to file and pay his taxes on time and of engaging in a tax evasion scheme by filing false tax returns and cooking the books on his company’s payroll. this post has been updated with additional information about hunter biden’s tax charges. special counsel david weiss said that no one is above the law, including hunter biden, after the president’s son was convicted on three federal gun charges tuesday. “no one in this country is above the law. everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant,” weiss told reporters tuesday. he added, “however, hunter biden should be no more accountable than any other citizen convicted of this same conduct. the prosecution has been and will continue to be committed to this principle.” special counsel david weiss thanked the jury for their service after jurors convicted hunter biden on three federal gun charge tuesday. “there are few civic responsibilities more important than jury service. fifteen delawareans came to court each day and performed their responsibilities in a professional and conscientious manner. we thank them,” he added. special counsel david weiss said this case was “not just about addiction” but about the “illegal choices” hunter biden made while he was using drugs. “ultimately this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the united states, including hunter biden’s family. this case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction,” weiss said. it comes after hunter biden was convicted on three federal gun charges by a jury tuesday. “his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun. and the choice to then possess that gun. it was these choices and the combination of guns and drugs, that made his conduct dangerous,” weiss said at a news conference tuesday. remember: the charges stemmed from a revolver hunter biden bought in october 2018 at a delaware gun shop. the first two counts were for lying about his drug use on a federal background check form, and the third count was for possessing a gun while addicted to, or using, illegal drugs. this post has been updated with additional comments from weiss. special counsel david weiss and his team of prosecutors are holding a news conference. our reporters will bring you the latest updates as we get them, but if you want to watch weiss speak live, click the play button in the video at the top of this page. one juror who found hunter biden guilty of three federal gun charges on tuesday told cnn that he does not believe the president’s son should serve jail time. “i really don’t think that hunter belongs in jail,” juror 10 said. hunter biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing, though he likely will receive far less than the maximum as a first time offender. before dismissing the parties, the judge told them sentencing is usually set for 120 days following a verdict, which means it is likely to happen before election day. the juror pointed to the fact that hunter biden did not want the gun back after hallie biden took it out of his truck and threw it in the garbage near a grocery store. “when he said he did not want that gun back and that gun sat in evidence for almost five years, i think that’s what may have been what led to his downfall. if he had taken possession of that gun, i don’t know if we would have even had a trial,” the juror said. the juror said it didn’t make a difference for him that hunter biden did not take the stand in his own defense. in fact, he said he agrees that was “better off not testifying.” “i didn’t think it would be a good idea for him to testify in his own defense,” the juror said. he also added that inside the deliberation room, politics did not come up. “no politics came into play and politics was not even spoken about,” the juror said, reiterating it was all about hunter biden. the man said the jurors felt bad that naomi biden, hunter’s daughter, was called to testify. he said, in his opinion, it was a mistake to put her on the stand. this post was updated with additional comments from juror 10. hunter biden could have grounds for appeal on a larger constitutional question, a cnn legal commentator said, pointing to the case regarding regulations around guns and drugs that was struck down by a federal appeals court last year. the 5th us circuit court of appeals in august struck down a decades old law barring users of illegal drugs from possessing firearms   another blow to us gun regulations after the supreme court cleared the way for courts to reexamine the nation’s gun laws under a new legal standard. “because you have that decision in the 5th circuit   of course, this being in a different circuit, could go all the way to the supreme court to validate this specific statute,” tim parlatore, a cnn commentator and former attorney for donald trump said. the 5th circuit case, united states v. daniels, involves patrick daniels who was arrested in april 2022 after law enforcement officers searched his car during a stop and found marijuana butts and two loaded firearms. in its ruling, the three judge panel said the 1968 law is unconstitutional, citing a landmark 2022 supreme court decision that changes the framework that lower courts must use when analyzing gun restrictions. parlatore said if hunter biden appeals, it’s likely that various groups with interests in seeing this law rolled back will submit amicus curiae briefs. these are submitted to the court by individuals or organizations that are not a direct party in the case but want to contribute more information. “there are a lot of veterans that i know that have to make a choice of do they want to get a medical marijuana card or do they want to keep their firearms?” parlatore said. “hunter biden has the opportunity, potentially, to take this to the supreme court and say ‘you can do both.’” when the jurors first started their deliberations monday afternoon, the first thing they did was take a vote, according to one male juror who spoke to cnn. the jury was split   six in favor of convicting hunter biden on federal gun charges, six who initially wanted to render a not guilty verdict, according to the juror. when the jury came back tuesday morning, the next vote was 11 1, with 11 people saying they thought the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt, the juror said to cnn’s hannah rabinowitz. the other jurors were then able to focus on the one holdout to get to a unanimous verdict, that juror said. over the next few hours, the jury discussed the elements of each crime, the man said, and the last person agreed that they should return a guilty verdict. the juror would not reveal anything about his politics but did express support for the bidens in terms of addiction. three jurors who spoke to cnn after they reached a guilty verdict said that they believed they had no choice but to find hunter biden guilty   but said that they question whether the criminal case ever should have been brought against the president’s son. the case “seemed like a waste of taxpayer dollars,” one female juror told cnn. another male juror said that the process was “a little but frustrating because it felt like we couldn’t get the full story.” this post has been updated with comments from more jurors. hunter biden has publicly responded to the guilty verdict against him today, saying he is “more grateful for the love and support” of his family than he is “disappointed by the outcome.” “recovery is possible by the grace of god, and i am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” he said in statement tuesday. hunter biden’s attorney, abbe lowell, also said in a statement that they were “naturally disappointed” by the verdict but would continue to “vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to hunter.” “through all he has been through in his recovery, including this trial, hunter has felt grateful for and blessed by the love and support of his family,” lowell said. cameras were not allowed in the federal courtroom where hunter biden’s gun trial was underway, but sketch artists inside the room captured the moment when the guilty verdict was read. special counsel david weiss and his team of prosecutors are expected to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. et. our reporters will bring you the latest updates on that news conference once it is underway. a day after one of the most painful moments for his family   the conviction of his son on felony gun charges   president joe biden is expected to leave for a three day trip to italy for the g7 summit. the fluke of scheduling speaks to the balance biden has been forced to strike throughout his son’s legal proceedings. as the trial was underway last week, biden was in france commemorating d day. aides said the president was keeping track of the trial from overseas, and remained in touch with his son and first lady jill biden, who had returned to delaware to attend the trial for one day. before and after that trip, biden spent a sizable amount of time with hunter in delaware. he returned from france directly to the family home in wilmington. biden had not been previously scheduled to return to delaware to see his son before leaving for italy. but with a guilty verdict now in, it remained an open question of whether that plan could change. in his first statement since his son hunter biden’s conviction on federal gun charges, president joe biden on tuesday sought to reiterate his role of a father seeking to support his son through his struggles. in the brief statement, the president underscored his pride in his son for overcoming his battle with addiction. “as i said last week, i am the president, but i am also a dad. jill and i love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. so many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery,” biden said. he added, “as i also said last week, i will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as 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 ever change that.” biden has previously affirmed he will not pardon his son. following hunter biden’s conviction on all three counts, his lawyers are likely preparing a set of appeals, according to cnn chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid. “i would expect that there will be a series of appeals but there are questions about just how many resources he has remaining to fund his legal defense. he is right now not working. his longtime friend and attorney kevin morris has been paying most of his legal bills,” reid said to wolf blitzer on “cnn newsroom.” morris, along with his other lawyer abbe lowell, have been pursuing an aggressive, forward leaning strategy with hunter biden’s legal defense, but the president’s son may be facing ballooning legal costs. “it’s not just these criminal trials that he’s facing. he and his lawyers are pursuing this very aggressive litigious campaign against his detractors. they have a lot of civil lawsuits that are costing them money,” reid said. hunter biden gave kisses and hugs to family members and friends in the courtroom, almost like a receiving line, as he exited. his friend and financial backer kevin morris walked out with his arms crossed. some of the supporters looked stunned. in the moments after the verdict, after court ended, hunter biden turned around to his legal team and flashed a brief smile, perhaps stunned by the outcome, before hugging all of his attorneys and patting them on the back. valerie biden   joe biden’s sister   entered the courtroom a few minutes after the verdict was read. first lady jill biden entered the room where hunter biden and his attorneys were huddled about seven minutes after the verdict was read. she stared immediately ahead and did not move her glare away. leaving the courthouse following the verdict, hunter biden shuffled his family members into an elevator as he held hands with his wife. he smiled briefly and left. the trump campaign targeted president joe biden in a statement as it responded to hunter biden’s conviction. in the initial statement obtained by cnn, the campaign wrote, “this trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the biden crime family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from china, russia and ukraine. crooked joe biden’s reign over the biden family criminal empire is all coming to an end on november 5th, and never again will a biden sell government access for personal profit. as for hunter, we wish him well in his recovery and legal affairs.” the trump campaign then sent an updated statement, striking the well wishes to hunter. fact check: there is no evidence joe biden has received large sums of money from china or has otherwise gained wealth as a result of his son’s business dealings abroad. hunter biden is expected to issue a written statement after the jury found him guilty, according to a source familiar with the matter. he was seen leaving the delaware court with his stepmother jill biden and his wife following the verdict. he did not speak to reporters and was seen getting into a vehicle. despite being a constant throughout the trial, first lady dr jill biden missed the guilty verdict handed down to her stepson, hunter biden. however, when she entered the court, cnn chief legal affairs correspondent paul reid said that hunter biden and his attorneys were huddled together, trying to work out their next steps. “she walked into the court room and she did not move her glance off her stepson and his lawyers,” reid said from outside court. hunter biden is not expected to speak, but will issue a written statement about the verdict. president joe biden on tuesday did not immediately offer a reaction to his son hunter biden’s conviction on firearms charges, but in a statement last week, the president sought to reiterate how his personal role as a father is separated from his duty as president. “i am the president, but i am also a dad,” biden said in the statement. he continued, “jill and i love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. a lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean.” “as a dad, i have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength. our family has been through a lot together, and jill and i are going to continue to be there for hunter and our family with our love and support.” biden said in an interview last week he would not pardon his son if hunter biden were to be convicted. before dismissing the parties, the judge told them sentencing is usually set for 120 days following a verdict, which would mean sentencing is in mid october before election day. prosecutors declined to comment following the verdict. the timing of hunter biden’s conviction on firearms charges tuesday morning offers a somewhat awkward juxtaposition with his father’s schedule; president joe biden is scheduled to deliver remarks on gun control in washington, dc, later tuesday. biden is scheduled to speak at everytown for gun safety action fund’s “gun sense university,” on tuesday afternoon. the president is expected to discuss gun reform legislation that passed nearly two years ago in the wake of massacres in new york and texas. it was the most substantial federal gun legislation to pass in a quarter century. while biden has largely avoided discussing his hunter biden’s criminal case   though he did say in an interview last week that he would respect the jury’s decision, and would not pardon his son   the verdict is sure to be at the top of his mind on tuesday. the president is known to be passionately defensive of his family and sensitive to outside criticism of his son’s troubled history. court has adjourned for the day after the jury found hunter biden guilty on all three counts. the jury deliberated for just under three hours. first lady jill biden arrived at the courthouse shortly after the verdict was read. although hunter biden now faces up to 25 years in prison, since he is a first time offender, he likely will not be sentenced to the full term, cnn chief legal correspondent paula reid said. “we don’t expect that he will be detained pending sentencing. it’s unclear how long it’ll take for him to get a sentencing date that will likely be set today,” reid said. a federal jury has convicted hunter biden on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms. the conviction marks the first time a president’s immediate family member has been found guilty of a crime during their father’s term in office, though his crimes predate joe biden’s tenure as president. hunter biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing, though he likely will receive far less than the maximum as a first time offender. hunter biden has arrived back at the wilmington, delaware, courthouse. a verdict in his federal gun trial is expected to be read soon. james and valerie biden have arrived, too. the jury has reached a verdict in the hunter biden gun trial. no cameras are allowed inside the delaware courtroom where hunter biden’s trial is underway, but sketch artist bill hennessy captured the scene before the jury resumed deliberations. a panel of 12 delaware citizens is deliberating in the the federal gun trial against hunter biden. this is the first time in american history that the child of the sitting president is going on trial. the indictment was brought by the justice department, specifically by david weiss, the special counsel appointed last year to oversee the hunter biden probes. hunter biden, 54, is accused of illegally purchasing and possessing a gun while abusing or being addicted to drugs, a violation of federal law. he pleaded not guilty to the three charges, though he has been open about his struggles with alcohol and crack cocaine addiction. the first two charges in the three count indictment are tied to the gun purchase itself. when a person buys a gun, they must fill out a form with the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives and affirm that they are legally allowed to buy the weapon. hunter biden has been charged with lying on those forms. these questions include: have you been convicted of a felony? are you a fugitive? are you in the country unlawfully? and, importantly for this case, are you an “unlawful user of, or addicted to” illegal drugs? hunter biden allegedly checked the box that said, “no.” count 3 relates to the possession of the gun. it’s also against federal law to possess a gun if you are abusing drugs. hunter biden had the gun for 11 days in october 2018, before his girlfriend threw it in a dumpster because she was worried about his mental health, according to the indictment and texts made public in recent court filings. “guns present a danger if they get in the wrong hands, and that’s the impetus behind these laws,” nabeel kibria, a washington, dc based defense attorney who has handled hundreds of gun cases, told cnn. “the evidence seems pretty stacked against hunter … but who determines who is an addict? what are the bright line rules that must be followed?” if convicted on all three counts, the president’s son could face up to 25 years in prison. the jury has resumed their deliberations in hunter biden’s trial. it is made up of six women and six men   seven of those jurors are black and five of the jurors are white. earlier in the trial, the original juror number 3 was dismissed. alternate juror number 1 has taken their place and is the new juror number 3. here’s a bit about them: president joe biden is expected to tout his administration’s efforts to prevent gun violence, specifically highlighting the impact of the bipartisan safer communities act during remarks in washington on tuesday. that comes as the president’s reelection campaign is seeking to make gun violence a key issue in the 2024 election. the president’s speech will take place two weeks before the anniversary of the signing of the bipartisan safer communities act, comprehensive gun safety legislation that received democratic and republican support in the wake of the massacre at robb elementary school in uvalde, texas, in 2022. biden’s address also comes as his son hunter awaits the outcome of his gun trial. the president is expected to announce in his remarks tuesday that the justice department has charged more than 500 defendants “for violating the new gun trafficking and straw purchasing provisions created by” the bipartisan safer communities act. the biden campaign is also seeking to draw a contrast between the president and his 2024 rival former president donald trump on this issue   arguing that trump will side with the “gun lobby over our safety every single time.” “gun violence is an issue that requires real leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up to the gun lobby. president biden and vice president harris get that; trump will choose special interests and the gun lobby over our safety every single time,” biden campaign senior spokesperson kevin munoz said in a memo. “fighting for a safer america   an america that does its part to save more lives from gun violence   is on the ballot this november,” munoz added. “president biden’s record of delivering commonsense gun reform is vastly popular with the american people and the voters this campaign needs to win in november.” cnn’s arlette saenz contributed reporting to this post. moments after he entered, hunter biden walked out of the courthouse with his wife melissa cohen biden. he had a smile on his face and they were holding hands. the motorcade departed the courthouse. both sides gave their final thoughts to jurors in closing arguments in the gun trial against hunter biden before they started deliberations on monday. hunter biden faces three charges stemming from a 2018 gun purchase. while buying the revolver, biden is accused of lying on a federal form, swearing that he was not using, and was not addicted to, any illegal drugs   even though prosecutors say he was struggling with crack cocaine addiction at the time of the purchase. here’s a recap of what both sides said in their final appeal to jurors: prosecution: defense: as president joe biden engages in the fight of his political life in a campaign focused on democracy and the rule of law, the most intimate details of his family’s ongoing personal tragedies have been publicly dissected in a courtroom over the last week. hunter biden’s struggles with addiction after the death of his brother beau biden have been the focus of hours of testimony during his trial for federal criminal charges, putting some of the biden family’s most personal problems on full display. the president’s son has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts connected to a gun he purchased in october 2018. for decades, the president has navigated the sometimes competing demands of his political career and being a father, particularly when it comes to hunter biden. part of the president’s enduring brand has been his ability to relate to the personal tragedies of others because of what his family has suffered, including the death of his first wife and daughter in a 1972 car crash that severely injured beau and hunter, and beau’s 2015 death from brain cancer. the most emotional parts of the trial involved the testimony from those closest to hunter biden, including his daughter naomi, his ex girlfriend and his brother’s widow hallie biden and his ex wife, kathleen buhle. though the questions they faced were aimed at determining whether hunter was using drugs in 2018, the effect hunter’s drug use had on their own lives was inescapable. “i am the president, but i am also a dad,” biden said in a statement at the start of the trial. “our family has been through a lot together, and jill and i are going to continue to be there for hunter and our family with our love and support.” last week, the president ruled out pardoning his son. the jury is continuing deliberations in hunter biden’s federal gun trial after the judge asked several questions on whether they had read or heard anything about the case outside of court. hunter biden arrived at court tuesday morning, where jury deliberations will resume and he will await the outcome of his trial on federal gun charges. he arrived alongside his wife melissa cohen biden. a regular heckler with an anti biden family sign was present and yelled out as hunter biden walked in the doors. the jury will resume deliberations tuesday in hunter biden’s federal gun trial in wilmington, delaware. while buying a revolver in delaware in 2018, prosecutors accuse biden of lying on a federal form, swearing that he was not using, and was not addicted to, any illegal drugs   even though he was struggling with crack cocaine addiction at the time of the purchase. thirteen witnesses testified in the trial. hunter biden decided not to testify. here’s who was on the stand during the trial: the jury in hunter biden’s federal gun trial will resume deliberations tuesday after the defendant declined to testify in his own defense and both sides presented closing arguments monday in the historic case against the president’s son. if convicted, biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000, though first time offenders like him rarely receive the maximum penalty. he pleaded not guilty to all three charges. here are some takeaways from the sixth day of the historic trial: read more takeaways from day 6 another president is waiting for another verdict from another jury. less than two weeks after donald trump learned he had been convicted of 34 criminal counts in his hush money case, joe biden is enduring his own agonizing vigil as his son hunter awaits the outcome of his gun trial. jurors return tuesday morning to consider evidence against the president’s son, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges related to his buying of a gun in 2018 that prosecutors say violated federal law because he was addicted to crack cocaine. the defense argued there was no direct evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he was using the drug when he got the firearm. the two trials   one in trump’s old patch of new york and the other in biden country in wilmington, delaware   represent a remarkable departure from traditional presidential campaigns. never has a former president and presumptive major party nominee been convicted of a crime. nor has the child of a sitting president faced that possibility in a trial. trump pleaded not guilty in new york, as he has to three other criminal indictments ahead of delayed trials. read more about why the cases differ here. © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.

president joe biden's son is found guilty of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun. wednesday 12 june 2024 09:17, uk please use chrome browser for a more accessible video player joe biden's son has been found guilty of illegally buying a gun after hiding his drug use. hunter biden, 54, was convicted of three firearm charges in the first criminal prosecution of a sitting us president's offspring. prosecutors said he lied on a form when buying a colt cobra revolver in october 2018 by stating he was not a drug user or addict, despite a problem with crack cocaine. hunter biden latest: trump campaign reacts to guilty verdict biden pleaded not guilty to felony charges that included lying about his addiction when he filled out a government screening document for the revolver and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days. first lady jill biden was in the courtroom shortly after the verdicts   which came after the jury deliberated for about three hours   and was seen holding her stepson's hand as they left. in a statement following the verdicts, president biden said he accepted the outcome of the case, as his son considers making an appeal. please use chrome browser for a more accessible video player the president was pictured embracing his son at delaware air national guard base hours after the guilty verdict was handed down. the trial included testimony from hunter biden's ex wife and sister in law, who gave accounts of his spiralling addiction in the weeks before and after buying the gun. prosecutors also showed text messages, photos and bank records they said showed biden was deep in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun. us correspondent it is another moment without precedent for america. the son of a sitting president has been convicted on three felony counts in a federal court. beyond the seriousness of the crime itself, the trial has lifted a lid on the layered struggles and tragedies of one family. it could be any number of american families   except it is the nation's first family. at its heart, it is a story of addiction, loss and grief which led to a criminal conviction. but because it's about the bidens, it is also, inevitably, a story of politics and scandal. the first family's private turmoil has played out in a public courtroom because one member of the family lied to obtain a gun. it is a case that almost never came to trial. a plea bargain had been arranged   hunter biden would plead guilty to the tax fraud and the gun charges would be dropped. but the plan fell apart. just as donald trump had been told he wasn't above the law, so too was joe biden's son. a trial began and history was made when the sitting president's son entered the courtroom. for the full analysis, click here. biden's lawyers sought to show he was not using drugs when he bought the gun and didn't intend to deceive, as he didn't consider himself a drug user at the time. the defence called biden's daughter naomi who testified her father seemed to be doing well when she saw him shortly before and after he bought the gun. biden did not testify at the trial, which was held in the family's hometown of wilmington in delaware. the sentencing guidelines for the gun related charges are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases often get shorter sentences. they are also less likely to see jail time if they abide by the terms of pre trial release. the judge did not set a sentencing date but said the hearing would be expected to take place within 120 days   which could place it a month before the us presidential election on 5 november. according to sarah fitzpatrick, senior investigations producer at sky's us partner network nbc news, biden thanked each person by name in a room with his defence team. citing sources close to biden, it was said to be an "incredible human moment". "it was an extraordinary moment that everyone around him in those minutes after the verdict will always remember," one person said. the most emotional moment, according to fitzpatrick, was when mr biden's voice almost cracked as he talked about how much he loves his mother and father and his wife melissa. biden's lawyers said they were "naturally disappointed" and will "continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available". he also faces a trial in september on charges of violating tax law, with prosecutors alleging he failed to pay $1.4m (£1.1m) in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, escorts and other high ticket items. he has pleaded not guilty to those charges. keep up with all the latest news from the uk and around the world by following sky news tuesday's verdict followed another historic first after last month's criminal conviction of mr trump, the first former us president to be found guilty of a crime. democrats have pointed to this case as evidence president biden is not using the justice system for political ends, having said last week he would not pardon his son if convicted. the us president said he and wife jill love their son and they are proud of the man he is today. "so many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery," he added. read more:hunter biden conviction is latest twist in family story be the first to get breaking news install the sky news app for free "jill and i will always be there for hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. nothing will ever change that." donald trump described the trial as a "distraction" from the "real crimes of the biden crime family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from china, russia and ukraine". there is no evidence that joe biden or any of his family members have received large sums of money from china, russia or ukraine or that he accepted any payment for government access. an impeachment inquiry in the us house of representatives has also not found any evidence tying the president to his son's business dealings.

wilmington, delaware    hunter biden has become the first child of a president to be convicted of a federal crime and those charges are likely to stick. president joe biden's son has been convicted on two counts related to false statements in purchasing the firearm and a third count of illegally obtaining a firearm. the charges carry serious penalties. the two counts of making false statements carry prison sentences of up to 10 years and five years, respectively, while the possession charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years. see also: biden shows support for son hunter after conviction, says he will respect verdict after judge maryellen noreika excused jurors following the verdict tuesday, she said she would get back in touch with the parties to schedule a sentencing date in the next 120 days. hunter biden's attorney abbe lowell said in a statement tuesday that they "will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to hunter." president joe biden told "world news tonight" anchor david muir that he would not pardon his son if convicted. he also told muir that he would accept the verdict. president biden reiterated his stance in a statement released later tuesday. "i also said last week, i will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as 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 ever change that," he said. for a first offender, who didn't use the gun it would be highly unlikely for hunter biden to see prison time, according to abc news' chief legal analyst dan abrams. see also: biden tells muir he wouldn't pardon son hunter, says trump got 'fair trial' | exclusive "here we have an isolated crime with nothing else, it would be very surprising for hunter biden to serve time," abrams said on abc news live. hunter biden faces more federal charges in his tax case which goes to trial in september. special counsel david weiss accused hunter biden in a december 2023 indictment of failing to pay taxes on income he earned from overseas business ventures. hunter biden and prosecutors also tried to arrange a plea deal along with the gun charges, but those fell through. the back taxes and penalties were subsequently paid in full by a third party, identified by abc news as hunter biden's attorney and confidant kevin morris. hunter biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include six misdemeanor charges and three felonies. the tax charges carry a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison if convicted. abc news' lucien bruggeman contributed to this report.

wait wait... don't tell me! is npr's weekly quiz program. each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up. jurors found biden guilty after three hours of deliberations over two days. now, president joe biden’s son faces sentencing and another trial on tax charges. file   hunter biden arrives to federal court, june 6, 2024, in wilmington, del. the criminal trial of president joe biden's son heads into the pivotal final stretch monday, june 11, as the defense argues prosecutors have failed to prove their federal gun case against hunter biden. (ap photo/matt slocum, file) hunter biden’s legal woes are not over after his conviction on three felony firearms charges in a trial that put a spotlight on his drug fueled past. now, president joe biden’s son faces sentencing, and another criminal trial on tax charges in the middle of his father’s reelection campaign. jurors found hunter biden guilty on tuesday after just three hours of deliberations over two days in the federal court in wilmington, delaware. the case stemmed from a gun hunter biden bought in 2018 while, as prosecutors say, he was in the throes of a crack cocaine addiction. here’s a look at what’s next for hunter biden: president joe biden’s son hunter biden is convicted of all 3 felony charges in federal gun trial jurors found him guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun. 8 months ago he was convicted of lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs, and illegally having the gun for 11 days. the three counts carry up to 25 years in prison. but whether the president’s son actually serves any time behind bars will be up to u.s. district judge maryellen noreika. the judge, who was nominated to the bench by former republican president donald trump, didn’t immediately set a date for sentencing. in the federal system, first time offenders don’t get anywhere near the maximum sentence. federal sentencing guidelines   which judges use as they weigh punishments for defendants   are expected to recommend a far lighter punishment. and judges aren’t bound by the guidelines, so she could decide not to send him to prison at all. other options include probation or home detention. in pressing the judge not to put him behind bars, defense lawyers will likely note that, unlike many illegal firearm possession cases, hunter biden’s gun was not used in a crime. hunter biden never even fired the gun, which he had for 11 days before it got thrown in the trash, his lawyers have said. the defense will also likely emphasize that hunter biden has since turned his life around. he has said he has been sober since 2019. also, there have been no reported violations of his conditions of release, including that he continues to abstain from drugs and alcohol and participate in a recovery program. defense attorney abbe lowell said in a written statement tuesday that they will “continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available.” it’s unclear on what grounds hunter biden will appeal the verdict, but he mounted multiple unsuccessful challenges to the case ahead of trial. among other things, hunter biden’s lawyers have challenged the constitutionality of the gun law at the center of the case in the wake of a landmark supreme court decision that has upended firearm laws across the country. hunter biden’s lawyers have also argued the president’s son was prosecuted for political purposes. lowell has claimed prosecutors bowed to political pressure after a plea agreement hit the skids in court and was publicly pilloried by republicans, including trump, as a “sweetheart deal.” under that deal last year, hunter biden would have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and avoided prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble. prosecutors were planning to recommend two years of probation. but the deal fell apart after the judge raised concerns about it. on friday, defense lawyers urged the judge to acquit hunter biden of the charges, arguing prosecutors had not met their burden of proof. noreika did not rule on the motion before the jury reached its verdict. hunter biden’s trial on tax charges in california is scheduled to begin september 5. he was initially slated to go to trial in that case later this month, but the judge recently granted a defense request to delay. he’s charged in the california case with nine felony and misdemeanor tax offenses. the charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four year scheme to skip out on paying the $1.4 million he owed to the irs. prosecutors allege he instead used the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle which, by his own admission, included drugs and alcohol. the president’s son has since repaid the back taxes. hunter biden’s lawyer said at a recent hearing that he was struggling to line up expert witnesses willing to testify in the high profile case in los angeles. prosecutors said they are planning to call roughly 30 witnesses. republicans have also signaled they will keep going after hunter biden after their impeachment inquiry into the president stalled. last week, house republicans issued criminal referrals against hunter biden and the president’s brother, james, accusing them of making false statements to congress as part of the gop’s yearlong impeachment inquiry. the president has not been accused or charged with any wrongdoing by prosecutors investigating his son. hunter biden’s attorney said in a statement last week that the referrals are “nothing more than a desperate attempt by republicans to twist hunter’s testimony so they can distract from their failed impeachment inquiry” and interfere with his criminal trial. lawyers spar in wilmington court over whether hunter biden ‘knowingly’ lied on federal gun purchase form about drug use the trial will feature testimony from three of biden’s exes   zoe keston, ex wife kathleen buhle and hallie biden, the widow of hunter’s brother. 8 months ago president biden said tuesday that he would accept the verdict and “continue to respect the judicial process as hunter considers an appeal.” the president has said in recent interviews he would not pardon his son. the president’s response to the verdict stands in stark contrast to trump, who blasted the justice system as “rigged” after his conviction on 34 felony counts in new york. the presumptive republican presidential nominee was convicted of a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. trump denied any wrongdoing and has cast himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system working to deny him another term. while in the white house, trump used his pardon power to benefit a broad array of allies, republican supporters in congress convicted of crimes and others whose causes were championed by friends. the beneficiaries included four associates convicted in special counsel robert mueller’s russian election interference investigation, but notably excluded two others   former campaign aide rick gates and former personal lawyer michael cohen   who cooperated with prosecutors as part of that probe. in a statement tuesday, trump’s campaign called hunter biden’s verdict “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the biden crime family.” trump and his allies have long pressed forward unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that joe biden   while serving as vice president   acted to advance his family members’ foreign business interests. ______ richer reported from washington. associated press reporters eric tucker and colleen long in washington contributed. get daily updates from whyy news! the free whyy news daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox. whyy is your source for fact based, in depth journalism and information. as a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. please give today. hunter biden set to be sentenced on gun charges in november sentencing is set for nov. 13 in wilmington, delaware. the president's son could face up to 25 years in prison, but as a first time offender he may avoid prison entirely. 6 months ago president biden says he won’t offer commutation to his son hunter after gun sentence the president says he will not use his presidential powers to lessen the eventual sentence that his son hunter will receive for his federal felony conviction on gun crimes. 8 months ago president joe biden’s son hunter biden is convicted of all 3 felony charges in federal gun trial jurors found him guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun. 8 months ago 10 hours ago 12 hours ago 16 hours ago want a digest of whyy’s programs, events & stories? sign up for our weekly newsletter. together we can reach 100% of whyy’s fiscal year goal whyy provides trustworthy, fact based, local news and information and world class entertainment to everyone in our community. whyy offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. learn more about social responsibility at whyy. it’s how we live. 215.351.1200 talkback@whyy.org 302.516.7506 talkback@whyy.org © mmxxv whyy whyy is partnered with

randall chase, associated press randall chase, associated press michael kunzelman, associated press michael kunzelman, associated press colleen long, associated press colleen long, associated press claudia lauer, associated press claudia lauer, associated press leave your feedback wilmington, del. (ap)   federal prosecutors wrapped up their gun case against hunter biden on friday with two final witnesses in their effort to prove that the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun purchase form when he said he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. prosecutors called an fbi forensic chemist, jason brewer, who tested a residue found on the leather pouch that contained hunter biden’s gun. it came back positive for cocaine, though the amount was minimal, he told jurors. a drug enforcement administration agent testified about text messages hunter biden sent to alleged dealers. read more: takeaways from hunter biden’s deposition with republican lawmakers their testimony capped a week that has been largely dedicated to highlighting the seriousness of hunter biden’s drug problem through highly personal and often revealing testimony. defense attorneys may now call witnesses. jurors heard thursday from hunter biden’s his ex wife and a former girlfriend who testified about his habitual crack use and their failed efforts to help him get clean. they saw images of the president’s son bare chested and disheveled in a filthy room, and half naked holding crack pipes. and they watched video of his crack cocaine weighed on a scale. prosecutor say the evidence is necessary to prove that hunter, 54, was in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun and therefore lied when he checked “no” on the form that asked whether he was “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” drugs. his attorney, abbe lowell, has argued hunter did not think of himself as an “addict” when he bought the gun and did not intend to deceive anyone. meanwhile, president joe biden worked to walk the line between president and father, telling abc in an interview that he would accept the jury’s verdict and ruling out a pardon for his son. earlier this week, he issued a statement saying: “i am the president, but i am also a dad. jill and i love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.” biden is in france this week for d day anniversary events. first lady jill biden, who attended court most of the week, flew back from france on thursday to be at the trial again friday. she will return to france for a state dinner. hunter biden has been charged with three felonies: lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days. he has pleaded not guilty. he had hoped to resolve the gun case and another separate tax case in california with a plea deal last year, the result of a yearslong investigation into his business dealings. the deal had him pleading guilty to lower level charges that would have resolved both cases and spared him the spectacle of a trial so close to the 2024 election. it fell apart after judge maryellen noreika questioned unusual aspects of the proposed agreement and the lawyers couldn’t resolve them. hunter biden said he got charged because the justice department bowed to pressure from republicans who argued the democratic president’s son was getting special treatment, and who have escalated their attacks on the criminal justice system since donald trump’s recent conviction in new york city in a hush money case. lowell said he would call the president’s brother james as a witness, but it’s unclear yet whether hunter biden will testify. but jurors have already heard his voice. prosecutors have played lengthy audio excerpts in court of his 2021 memoir “beautiful things,” in which he writes about his lifelong addiction issues and spiraling descent after death of his brother beau in 2015. the book, written after he got sober, covers the period he had the gun but doesn’t mention it specifically. lowell has said hunter biden’s state of mind was different when he wrote the book than when he purchased the gun, when he didn’t believe he had an addiction. he pointed out to jurors that some of the questions on the firearms transaction record are in the present tense, such as “are you an unlawful user of or addicted to” drugs. and he’s suggested hunter biden might have felt he had a drinking problem at the time, but not a drug problem. alcohol abuse doesn’t preclude a gun purchase. read more: jurors in hunter biden trial hear more from gun store clerk who sold weapon at center of case the reason law enforcement raised any questions about the revolver is because hallie biden, beau’s widow, found it unloaded in hunter’s truck on oct. 23, 2018, panicked and tossed it into a garbage can at a nearby market. she testified about the episode thursday. she told jurors she considered hiding the gun but thought her kids might find it, so she decided to throw it away. “i realize it was a stupid idea now, but i was panicking,” she said. “i didn’t want him to hurt himself, and i didn’t want my kids to find it and hurt themselves.” hallie biden, who had a brief romantic relationship with hunter after beau died, testified that from the time hunter returned to delaware from a 2018 trip to california until she threw his gun away, she did not see him using drugs. that time period included the day he bought the weapon. but much of her testimony focused on oct. 23, 2018   11 days after he bought it. hunter was staying with her and seemed exhausted. asked by the prosecutor if it appeared that hunter was using drugs around then, she said, “he could have been.” as hunter slept in her home, hallie biden went to check his car. she said she was hoping to help him get or stay sober, free of both alcohol and cocaine. she said she found the remnants of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. she also found the gun hunter purchased in a box with a broken lock that kept it from fully closing. there was ammunition too. she put it in a leather pouch put the pouch in a bag and tossed it into in the trash can at janssen’s market. he noticed it missing and asked her whether she had taken it. “are you insane?” he texted. he told her to go back to the market to look for it. surveillance footage played for jurors showed her digging around in the trash can for the gun, but it wasn’t there. she asked store officials if someone had taken out the trash. hallie testified hunter told her to file a police report because the gun was registered in his name. she called the police while she was still at the store. officers located the man who inadvertently took the gun along with other recyclables from the trash and retrieved it. the case was eventually closed because of lack of cooperation from hunter biden, who was considered the victim. jurors also heard from the officers who handled the case, from the man who found the gun and from the store clerk who sold hunter the revolver. if convicted, hunter biden faces up to 25 years in prison, though first time offenders do not get anywhere near the maximum, and it’s unclear whether the judge would give him time behind bars. he also faces a separate trial in september on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes. long reported from washington. left: hunter biden, son of president joe biden, arrives at the federal court for his trial on criminal gun charges in wilmington, del., june 7, 2024. photo by hannah beier/reuters by claudia lauer, randall chase, colleen long, michael kunzelman, associated press by claudia lauer, michael kunzelman, colleen long, randall chase, associated press by stefanie dazio, alanna durkin richer, associated press by farnoush amiri, associated press randall chase, associated press randall chase, associated press michael kunzelman, associated press michael kunzelman, associated press colleen long, associated press colleen long, associated press claudia lauer, associated press claudia lauer, associated press support provided by: learn more thank you. please check your inbox to confirm. © 1996   2025 newshour productions llc. all rights reserved. pbs is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. sections about stay connected thank you. please check your inbox to confirm. learn more about friends of the news hour. support for news hour provided by

the special prosecutor who led a years long investigation into joe biden's son, hunter, has criticised the president for making "baseless accusations" about the case and defended his investigation in a final report. in the report, released monday, david weiss called his prosecution of the president's son on gun and tax crimes "impartial" and "not partisan politics". hunter biden's lawyer said the report showed mr weiss's investigation "was a cautionary tale of the abuse of prosecutorial power." biden issued an official pardon for his son, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases, in early december. while issuing the pardon, the president said his son had been "singled out" and called his cases "a miscarriage of justice" and "raw politics". mr weiss called those statements "gratuitous and wrong". "i prosecuted the two cases against [hunter] biden because he broke the law," he wrote in his report. hunter biden pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges earlier in september, and was found guilty of being an illegal drug user in possession of a gun in june. his father's full and unconditional pardon for his son came after the president had repeatedly said he would not give him clemency. it was not the first time a us president has pardoned a family member. bill clinton pardoned his younger half brother, roger clinton, for a 1985 cocaine related offence in 2001. in 2020, donald trump pardoned charles kushner, the father in law of his daughter, ivanka, who pled guilty to federal charges of tax evasion and illegal campaign donation payments in 2005. in his report, mr weiss acknowledged that, but added: "none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the department of justice based solely on false accusations". hunter biden pleaded guilty to nine counts of federal tax fraud in september, for which he had been facing up to 17 years in prison. he was also convicted of three felonies in connection with a gun purchase in june, for which he had been facing up to 25 years in prison. the investigations into the president's son had resurfaced uncomfortable and embarrassing details about his personal life, including his addiction to crack cocaine and alleged payments to escorts. president biden had mostly kept quiet during the investigations into his son but came fiercely to his defence in his pardoning. "there has been an effort to break hunter   who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution," president biden said. "in trying to break hunter, they've tried to break me   and there's no reason to believe it will stop here. enough is enough." he added: "i hope americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision." the pardon covers the period from 1 january 2014 to 1 december 2024, "including but not limited to" the tax and gun crimes for which he was found guilty. mr weiss said due to that unconditional pardon, he could not make any "additional charging decisions" relating to hunter biden over that period. "it would be inappropriate to discuss whether additional charges are warranted," he said. mr weiss has previously defended his inquiry into the president's son. in 2023, he told the house of representatives judiciary committee there had never been political pressure or interference in his work from the justice department. mr weiss's investigation into hunter biden was heavily scrutinised on both sides of the political spectrum. democrats said it was politically charged and felt that hunter biden had an unfair target on his back. republicans believed the justice department was not pursuing charges aggressively enough and showing the president's son unfair favouritism. hunter biden's guilty convictions came after a collapsed plea deal in 2023. a judge declined to approve the deal   which republicans had branded a "sweetheart deal"   that would have had hunter biden plead guilty to the tax evasion charges to avoid the more serious gun related charges. in a statement released monday, hunter biden's lawyer, abbe lowell, criticised mr weiss for the failed deal. "mr. weiss also fails to explain why he reneged on his own agreement, a reversal that came at the 11th hour in court as he and his office faced blistering attacks from republicans," mr lowell said. the japanese prime minister gets much needed reassurances that his country is still america's top ally. officials say it's too soon to say what caused the plane to come down on alaska's west coast. nineteen state attorneys general sued the trump administration after the department of government efficiency (doge) was given access. the billionaire aide to donald trump indicates he wants to see the end of an agency founded after the financial crash of 2007 8. fbi agents, former allies, and the nation's top record keeper are among those president trump has fired. copyright 2025 bbc. all rights reserved. the bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites. read about our approach to external linking.
the president’s son is a first time offender who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime. by zach montague reporting from wilmington when the judge presiding over hunter biden’s federal gun trial sentences him, she will have to weigh a number of unusual factors specific to his case. mr. biden was convicted on tuesday of three violations that rarely go to trial   all stemming from his failure to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought a gun in 2018. the charges included illegally possessing a firearm, giving a false statement in buying it, and providing that false statement to a licensed gun dealer responsible for making sure guns are sold only to properly qualified customers. according to the most recent manual published by the united states sentencing commission, which sets recommended sentencing guidelines, someone in mr. biden’s position would typically face 15 to 21 months’ imprisonment for offenses related to the unlawful receipt, possession, or transportation of firearms. from 2019 to 2023, just 52 defendants were sentenced in a similar category as mr. biden, and 92 percent were sentenced to serve prison time with a median prison term of 15 months, according to the commission’s data. around 8 percent of people in that category received probation or a fine. but judges frequently depart from the suggested guidelines when handing down a sentence and may reduce the time spent in prison in light of the particular circumstances unique to each case. mr. biden, as a nonviolent first time offender and as someone who was not accused of using the weapon in another crime, did not commit any of the aggravating factors that a judge might normally consider in setting a harsher sentence. (examples would include making a straw purchase to transfer a gun to somebody who could not buy one legally.)

hunter biden found guilty in gun crime trial hunter biden's legal woes are not over after his conviction on three felony firearms charges in a trial that put a spotlight on his drug fuelled past. now, u.s. president joe biden's son faces sentencing, and another criminal trial on tax charges in the middle of his father's re election campaign. jurors found hunter biden guilty on tuesday after just three hours of deliberations over two days in the federal court in wilmington, del. the case stemmed from a gun he bought in 2018 while, as prosecutors say, he was in the throes of a crack cocaine addiction. here's a look at what's next for hunter biden: he was convicted of lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. the three counts carry up to 25 years in prison. but whether the president's son actually serves any time behind bars will be up to u.s. district judge maryellen noreika. the judge, who was nominated to the bench by former republican u.s. president donald trump, didn't immediately set a date for sentencing. in the federal system, first time offenders don't get anywhere near the maximum sentence. federal sentencing guidelines   which judges use as they weigh punishments for defendants   are expected to recommend a far lighter punishment. and judges aren't bound by the guidelines, so she could decide not to send him to prison at all.