Hunter Biden, son of the U.S. President, found guilty in 'gun purchase' case

A jury in the trial concerning the charges against Hunter Biden, the son of the U.S. President, found him guilty of lying about his addiction and consequently purchasing a firearm illegally. All 12 members of the jury in the federal court of Delaware on Tuesday, June 22, found Hunter Biden guilty on all three charges against him. He is the first child of a sitting U.S. President to be found guilty. Democrats may leverage this ruling against Donald Trump's claims that his opponents weaponize the judicial system against him. After the jury's verdict, Hunter Biden described the ruling as 'disappointing' while expressing gratitude for the support of family and friends. U.S. President Joe Biden stated in a statement that he accepts the outcome of the trial and respects the judicial process of the case. The judge did not announce a date for the final ruling but noted that judgments are typically issued within 120 days; therefore, the final ruling will likely be determined no later than a month before the U.S. presidential election on November 5. In U.S. legal tradition, sentences for crimes related to gun purchases and possession range from 15 to 21 months in prison. However, legal experts say that sentences are usually lighter, and in many cases, if the accused complies with the terms of probation, a prison sentence may not be issued. In a survey conducted in February by Reuters and Ipsos, about 61% of voters said that Hunter Biden's legal case would not affect their decision to vote for or against Joe Biden. Democrats in Congress, referring to the legal case and trial of the President's son, argue that this shows Joe Biden does not exploit the judicial system for political and personal purposes. Mr. Biden announced last week that he would not pardon his son if he were convicted. On Tuesday, Mr. Biden stated, 'As I said last week, I am a President and at the same time a father. Jill and I love our son and are proud of him. Many families who have had loved ones struggle with addiction understand our pride in his overcoming the addiction problem.' The U.S. President added in this statement, 'I accept the outcome of this trial and respect the ongoing judicial process regarding the case that Hunter intends to appeal. Jill and I and other family members will always stand by Hunter, and nothing will change that.' In the indictment by David Weiss, the special prosecutor of the U.S. Department of Justice appointed by Donald Trump, Hunter Biden is also accused of six tax violations in California in addition to the three charges related to illegal gun purchase and possession. The prosecution claims that Hunter Biden evaded about $1.4 million in taxes while spending millions of dollars on drugs, sex services, luxury cars, and other expensive items between 2016 and 2019. Hunter Biden has denied these charges, and the trial related to this case will begin on September 5 in Los Angeles. The prosecution presented testimony from Hunter Biden's wife, ex-girlfriend, and his brother's wife regarding his severe cocaine addiction before and after the gun purchase in October 2018. Another part of the evidence presented to the court by the prosecution included Hunter Biden's text messages from his mobile phone, photos, and bank statements that proved he spent large sums of money on drugs in the weeks before and after the gun purchase. Hunter Biden's lawyers attempted to convince the jury that their client was not using drugs at the time of the gun purchase and did not lie on the gun purchase questionnaire because he did not consider himself an addict at that time.