A court has ruled Hunter Biden to be at fault in a firearm case.
Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, has been convicted by a jury for breaking multiple gun laws. This news arrives at an inconvenient time for his father, who is aiming for re-election.
In the trial that saw Hunter Biden facing charges for breaking gun laws, the jurors found him guilty in all three counts. Reporters in the court shared this news unanimously. The verdict will be announced by Judge Maryellen Noreika later on, and he might face up to 25 years in prison. However, the judge's actual sentence for the 54-year-old is uncertain, as he has no prior convictions.
The trial took place in Wilmington, Delaware, where Hunter Biden was accused of making inaccurate statements during a gun purchase in October 2018 and concealing his drug addiction at the time. The jurors retired for deliberation in the afternoon after both the prosecution and defense had given their final presentations. They reconvened on Tuesday morning.
Exposing Personal Matters
The world has known Hunter Biden for years due to his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, as well as shady business deals and legal disputes. In early December, he faced charges of evading taxes in California. With all of these scandals, Hunter Biden was the subject of several investigations in the past. In the summer of 2023, a deal with the prosecution to avoid court proceedings failed. Later in August, US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special prosecutor to this case. Finally, lawsuits were brought forth in Delaware and California.
Throughout the trial in Wilmington, Hunter Biden's private life was put on display in court. This included his daughter Naomi and testimony from former partners. During this trial, his drug addiction came to light, which he has admitted to in his autobiography. He denies, however, being addicted at the time of the gun purchase.
Though US President Joe Biden did not appear in the courtroom, a few of his other family members showed support - one being Hunter Biden's stepmother, First Lady Jill Biden. The fact that she attended the court proceedings as a moral supporter was an unusual occurrence.
A Politically Charged Election Year
The legal issues of Hunter Biden have added to the already intense political climate in the United States. As Democrat Joe Biden attempts to win a second term in office, these events serve as fodder for both parties. The Democrats are trying to tarnish Trump as a criminal, while Trump uses the New York verdict to raise campaign funds and claims the legal proceedings are a politically motivated witch hunt.
The upcoming election is complicated by the fact that both incumbents have legal issues hanging over their heads. The final judgement against Hunter Biden has not yet been announced. In the worst-case scenario, Trump could face up to four years in prison, but it's more likely he will receive a suspended sentence or have to pay a fine.
Before this verdict, US President Biden stated he would not pardon his son should he be found guilty. Hunter is the oldest son of Joe Biden from his first marriage, and his life has been marked by adversity ever since his mother and sister died in a car accident in 1972. The Biden family also consists of his second wife, Jill, and their daughter, Ashley.
