Hunter Biden, the president’s son, was found guilty on three counts of crimes related to buying a gun while he was in the throes of drug addiction. On October 12, 2018, he filled out the required federal background check form, marking “no” to the question about drug use.
His lawyers insisted that the special counsel who brought the case, David C. Weiss, had no evidence that Mr. Biden was using drugs at the time of the purchase or around the time.
Before deciding to convict him on the three counts, the jury heard about Mr. Biden’s addiction to cocaine from women throughout his life, as well as in Mr. Biden’s own words, which prosecutors did using excerpts from his audiobook. memories
Here are some takeaways.
The ruling comes amid questions about the intersection of politics and the justice system.
The verdict in Mr. Biden’s trial came just weeks after former President Donald J. Trump was convicted in a Manhattan courtroom of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to porn stars. Both trials are surrounded by partisan dynamics and questions about the criminal justice system’s ability to operate without regard to politics.
Mr. Biden’s trial took place in the hometown of the Biden family, in the middle of the presidential campaign and amid intense pressure from Republicans to find criminality by Hunter Biden. The fact that a jury has now convicted the presumptive Republican presidential candidate and the son of his opponent, the sitting president, will not end the debate about politics and the judiciary. But it may prevent the problem from becoming more serious.
The trial is a reminder of the decades-long struggle of the Biden family.
In his 2021 memoir, Hunter Biden recounts his relentless cocaine abuse. Testimonies and text messages added to the devastating portrait of the president’s son, a reminder of the problems that have been brewing for years while his father is running for re-election.
Mr. Biden’s former romantic partner testified about drug use, coast-to-coast partying, drug dealers in Washington, Delaware and California, and daily cash withdrawals, usually more than $1,000 at a time.
But the testimony of the eldest daughter, Naomi Biden Neal, was perhaps the most emotional. Taking the witness stand Friday in his father’s defense, he gave a positive assessment of his behavior the day after he bought the gun, describing him as “hopeful” and sober. But under cross-examination, the assessment appeared to have stalled, with prosecutors showing text messages between her and Mr Biden during that time that revealed a troubled relationship when she struggled with him when he visited New York, where she lives. . Prosecutors suggested it was because he was using crack cocaine.
Each day of Mr. Biden’s trial, several members of his family sat behind the defense table, offering support by appearing in person or with hugs and kisses during breaks. The first lady, Jill Biden, was in the courtroom for most of the proceedings, cutting short a visit to France with the president to return briefly. After the guilty verdict, Hunter Biden left the courtroom on Tuesday with his hands clasped.
The ruling could affect any future court sentences on tax charges.
In September, Mr. Biden is scheduled to stand trial in Los Angeles on charges of tax evasion, failure to file and pay taxes, and filing false or fraudulent tax returns. This is considered a more serious case against him.
The guilty verdict in the gun case on Tuesday raises the possibility that he will receive a stiffer sentence if the jury convicts him in the tax case because federal guidelines take into account previous convictions.
The special counsel, Mr. Weiss, in comments on Tuesday, said he brought the gun case because no one was “above the law,” and also suggested that the government would not impose a harsher sentence than other people convicted in the case. . case.
Like the gun charges, the indictment for tax-related offenses lists Mr. Biden’s years of drug abuse and cites wild spending. “Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothes, and other things of a personal nature, in short, everything except taxes,” the prosecutor wrote in carrying costs.
The gun trial exhibited some of these behaviors, but the tax cost was much longer. The trial is set to begin on September 5, about a month before he is due to be sentenced for the gun crime.
The trial shows how the government’s strategy to keep guns out of the wrong hands depends on one form.
During opening statements, one of the prosecutors, Derek Hines, referred to the form as a way to keep guns out of the wrong hands. “That form on the background check is the only safeguard we have to see if someone can legally possess a firearm,” he said. “Background checks are one of the protections we have when owning a gun.”
Mr Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, made a similar point, saying alcohol was not mentioned on the form.
“The law in this case does not prevent, and the form does not ask if the person is an alcoholic,” Mr. Lowell said. “According to the law, and form in this case, a person can be even drunk and still, under this law and form, be able to walk into a gun store and buy.”
The case against Mr. Biden is unusual, and not just because he is the son of a sitting president.
Those accused of cheating on federal firearms applications are usually not indicted on those charges alone, making Mr. Biden’s case unusual because it rarely goes to a jury.
Usually, it will be part of the charges that involve more serious crimes. In many cases, those who face these charges negotiate a plea deal for probation and participation in a program that includes counseling and regular drug testing.
Fewer than 300 prosecutions are filed each year for defrauding federally licensed firearms dealers. About 25 million to 30 million background checks are conducted each year on Mr. Biden’s gun purchases, according to statistics obtained by The Washington Post.
