When is the verdict of the Hunter Biden trial likely to be known?

The jury in the trial of Hunter Biden, son of current President Joe Biden, is set to resume deliberations at 9 a.m. today, Tuesday 11 June in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware. This follows a brief session on Monday when jurors spent an hour considering the case against Hunter Biden, who faces accusations of lying about his drug addiction to purchase a firearm in 2018. The trial, which has captured national attention due to its high-profile defendant, is poised to deliver a verdict that could come as early as today.

Hunter Biden: what charges is he facing?

During the trial, the prosecution argued that Biden, 54, broke the law by providing false information on a federal background check to acquire a Colt Cobra revolver.

“When he chose to lie and buy a gun, he violated the law,” said Derek Hines, the lead prosecutor, in his closing argument on Monday. Hines urged the 12-member jury to convict Biden.

“We ask you return the only verdict supported by the evidence - guilty,” he concluded.

What is Hunter Biden’s defense?

The defense of the president’s son – and it’s worth noting that his father has said he will not pardon him if found guilty – portrayed the government’s case as misleading, emphasizing that the evidence did not directly link Biden’s past drug use to the time of the gun purchase. Abbe Lowell, Biden’s attorney, argued that the prosecution was creating an illusion of continuous drug use to falsely connect it to the period when the gun was bought.

“They blurred all those years before he walked into StarQuest Shooters and all those years after,” Lowell told the jury, highlighting the store where Biden made the purchase.

Biden has maintained his innocence throughout and testified that he has been sober since 2019, a fact he shared in a 2023 hearing. This detail is crucial, as the charges relate specifically to his condition at the time of the purchase.

Could Hunter Biden go to jail?

If convicted, Biden could face a prison sentence ranging from 15 to 21 months, although legal experts suggest that sentences for similar offenses are often shorter and can include probation if the defendant complies with pretrial release conditions.

This trial marks the first time a sitting president’s child has faced a criminal trial. Although most sane people would agree that that doesn’t even come close to the situation we find ourselves in with another historic legal development, that of Republican presidential contender, Donald Trump.

The 30 May conviction of the former president, along with the many other charges against him, is claimed, by Trump and his allies at least, to be politically motivated to thwart his political comeback. Democrats view the potential Hunter Biden prosecution as a demonstration of the incumbent president’s impartial approach to the justice system.

Both political sides of the country will paint the verdict of the trial in their own predictable way, but suggestions are that we won’t have to wait too long for the jury deliberations to conclude.