In a historic moment that has sent shockwaves through the nation, Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has been found guilty in his federal gun trial. The verdict, delivered after approximately three hours of jury deliberations on Tuesday, June 11, has thrust the 54-year-old into the spotlight, facing the possibility of jail time.
The trial, which unfolded in Wilmington, Delaware, centered around a three-count indictment that dropped last fall. Two counts accused Hunter of lying about his illicit drug use in 2018 to obtain a gun, while an additional count alleged that he briefly possessed the firearm while using narcotics.
Potential Consequences
With a conviction on all charges, Hunter Biden faces a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000. However, legal experts have suggested that a harsh sentence is unlikely, given that he is a first-time offender and the case focused on a single firearm, which he possessed for only 11 days.
The weight of this historic decision now rests on the shoulders of U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who presided over Hunter’s federal gun trial. Noreika, elevated to the U.S. District Court of Delaware in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, has been tasked with the unprecedented responsibility of determining the first-ever sentence for a sitting president’s child.
The Investigation and Indictments
The investigation into Hunter Biden’s conduct began in 2018, during Donald Trump’s presidency, under the leadership of U.S. Attorney David Weiss. After Biden’s election, Weiss was asked to continue the investigation, and in August 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland boosted Weiss to special counsel status.
In September, a federal grand jury in Delaware approved an indictment against Hunter related to his past possession of a firearm. Three months later, the investigation led to an additional indictment on nine federal tax charges, including three felonies and six misdemeanors that allege he evaded taxes and filed a false return.
Testimony and Personal Struggles
Throughout the firearm trial, Hunter Biden’s rocky road to sobriety was laid bare, with testimony from his eldest daughter, Naomi Biden, playing a pivotal role. Naomi, 30, took the stand on Friday, June 7, and spoke about visiting her father in rehab, revealing that she knew he was “struggling with addiction” when she and her now-husband Peter Neal visited him in Los Angeles in August 2018.
The conviction of a sitting president’s child on federal charges is an unprecedented event in American history, made even more dramatic by the backdrop of former President Trump’s own historic guilty verdict on 34 felony counts as he prepares to accept the 2024 Republican nomination.
A Milestone in American History
Never before has a child of a sitting American president faced a criminal trial, let alone been convicted on federal charges. This milestone moment has sent ripples through the nation, casting a spotlight on the Biden family and the complex dynamics that have unfolded behind the scenes.
As the nation grapples with the implications of this verdict, all eyes will be on Judge Noreika as she navigates the uncharted territory of sentencing a president’s child. The decision she renders will undoubtedly shape the course of history and set a precedent for future cases of this unprecedented nature.