Hunter Biden verdict: The jury finds President’s son guilty | What’s next?

Just a few weeks after the trial that ended with a felony conviction for former president Donald Trump, a Delaware court has found President Joe Biden’s son Hunter guilty on all three felony counts. Similar to Donald Trump’s situation, though much less historic, the criminal case was the first to be brought against the child of a former or current president.

The charges brought surrounded the purchasing of a firearm by the younger Biden son in 2018, where he is accused of having lied about his drug addiction to bypass laws that would have made him ineligible to purchase the weapon. The gun in question was a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver from a federally licensed firearms dealer, Gordon Cleveland. The gun was only in his possession for eleven days until it was found by Hallie Biden, his ex-girlfriend and sister-in-law, who threw it in the dumpster. The gun was recovered by law enforcement after being turned over by a homeless man.

Cleveland testified in court as a witness for the prosecution, who alleged that when Mr. Biden filled out the Firearm Transaction Record, he knowingly made a false statement when he said he was not an unlawful user of a controlled substance nor an addict.

Could Hunter Biden go to jail?

It will be up to the judge to determine whether Mr. Biden will serve jail time. President Biden has made it clear that he will not pardon his son, though he does have the jurisdictional authority to do so. Supporters of the president are drawing a stark comparison to Donald Trump by saying that his commitment not to intervene shows that their candidate doesn’t believe anyone is above the law. Additionally, the fact that charges were brought against Hunter undermines the former president’s narrative that the judiciary is weaponized against him.

The maximum prison sentence Mr. Biden could receive is twenty-five years, but most legal experts expect a far lighter sentence to be issued. Judge Maryellen Noreik holds the critical responsibility, but those looking into sentencing practices at the Associated Press have found that typically, first-time offenders receive far lighter sentences than that maximum. The sentencing date has yet to be determined, but we will bring it to you once it has been announced.