Hunter Biden won’t be sentenced on gun charges until after presidential election
Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika has scheduled the sentencing proceeding in Delaware’s federal court for November 13, according to an order from the court on Friday. Election Day is November 5.
The timing keeps the consequence of Hunter Biden’s conviction hanging over the election season, as his father, President Joe Biden, is still likely to play a significant role politically even though he is no longer running for reelection.
Hunter Biden faces a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing.
He also faces an upcoming second federal criminal trial, on tax charges in California, that could complicate his sentencing. That trial is currently scheduled to take place in September.
In Delaware’s federal court, a jury unanimously voted to convict Hunter Biden in June on three felony gun charges intended to prevent drug addicts from possessing firearms. He had bought a gun in October 2018 and told the gun shop he wasn’t addicted to or using drugs around the time of the purchase.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have indicated they plan to challenge the verdict and the underlying law around the gun charges in an effort to overturn the conviction, but that may not hold off the sentencing date.
The punishment will be decided by Noreika, who was named to the bench by former President Donald Trump and confirmed with bipartisan support.
Federal law requires her to consider the circumstances of the specific offense, the history and characteristics of the defendant, and the need to deter Hunter Biden from future criminal activity and to hand down a punishment that promotes “respect for the law.”
The trial put on display a scathing portrait of a drug addict with a messy personal life. The upcoming tax trial, also being prosecuted by special counsel David Weiss, is likely to revisit some of those same themes.
The president does have extensive power to commute a sentence or issue a pardon, though Biden said previously he had ruled out pardoning his son.
The election season is overshadowed by the pending sentencing of Hunter Biden due to his politics-related convictions, as his father, President Joe Biden, remains influential politically.
Despite indicating a challenge to the gun charges verdict, the timing of Hunter Biden's sentencing is not expected to be delayed due to politics, as the decision ultimately lies with Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika.
