AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The jury in Hunter Biden's trial on federal gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, has returned its verdict, unanimously finding the First Son guilty on all counts. Biden stood accused of the following:
[M]aking a false statement during a background check to deceive a federally licensed firearms dealer in Wilmington, Delaware—his father's home turf (Count 1), making a false statement on a form that the seller kept as the firearm transaction record (Count 2), and illegally possessing the gun over an 11-day period (Count 3).
In a trial that whirled by at almost breakneck pace, wrapping the evidence in just six days, the jury of six women and six men took a little over three hours to render their decision.
Readers will recall that Biden was initially set to enter a guilty plea to two misdemeanor tax charges in exchange for no jail time and diversion on the felony gun charge. However, that "sweetheart deal" blew up in late July 2023 after Noreika questioned its propriety due to its unusual nature.
Thanks to the mountains of evidence — much of it straight from the horse's (Hunter's) mouth, compliments of his incriminating laptop and his memoir "Beautiful Things" — the jury appears to have found the prosecution met its burden and opted to hold the First Son accountable.
The prosecution called 10 witnesses, beginning with FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen, who helped authenticate evidence obtained from the infamous "laptop from hell" and Hunter's iCloud account. They also called three of Hunter's exes: his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, his ex-lover (and sister-in-law) Hallie Biden, and another ex-lover, Zoe Kestan. Additionally, there was gun salesman Gordon Cleveland, two troopers from the Delaware State Police, and Ed Banner, the 80-year-old who retrieved the gun from the trash receptacle after Hallie Biden ditched it there. Lastly, there was forensic chemist Dr. Jason Brewer and DEA Supervisory Special Agent Joshua Romig.
The defense called only three witnesses: StarQuest Shooters employee Jason Turner, StarQuest Shooters owner Ron Palmieri, and Hunter Biden's daughter, Naomi. Following a brief rebuttal from prosecution witness Erika Jensen, the court broke for lunch and then proceeded to closing arguments upon the jurors' return.
While prosecutor Leo Wise began his closing arguments by reminding the jury that "People sitting in the gallery are not evidence," the presence of the First Family was undoubtedly difficult to overlook for jurors hailing from Biden Country. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell emphasized the burden of proof and pointed to claimed inconsistencies in the timeline and some of Hunter's communications. The prosecution offered a brief rebuttal, noting that they had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt, "seven ways to Sunday.”
It appears the jury agreed. With the conviction, Hunter Biden faces the following:
Two of the counts carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Judge Noreika has indicated she will set a date for sentencing at a later time.
