A jury has found the son of President Joe Biden guilty on three felonies stemming from the purchase of a gun he had for about 11 days. Prosecutors say Hunter Biden lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

Wilmington

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, was found guilty on three felony charges related to the purchase of a gun in 2018 while using or addicted to drugs.

Hunter Biden conviction

Hunter Biden has been convicted on three felony counts related to a gun purchase. Prosecutors accused Biden of lying on a mandatory gun-purchase form by declaring he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. The charges stem from Biden's possession of the gun for approximately 11 days. 

Following the verdict, protests erupted outside the courthouse, while Biden appeared unemotional inside. He left the courthouse hand in hand with his wife Melissa and First Lady Jill Biden. This marks the first instance of a sitting president's son being convicted of a felony. 

The jury, comprised of 12 members, reached their decision after three hours of deliberation, following emotional closing arguments. Prosecutor Leo Weiss presented evidence including text messages, bank records, and personal testimonies suggesting Biden was a drug user during the gun purchase in 2018. The defense countered that it was impossible to confirm Biden's drug use during the brief period he owned the gun. 

Despite attempts by the defense to garner sympathy by highlighting Biden's struggle with addiction, the jury found the prosecutorial evidence compelling. Biden now faces up to 25 years in prison, though as a first-time offender, significant jail time is deemed unlikely.



Hunter Biden found guilty on all counts

Some protests erupting outside of the courthouse after the verdict was read. Inside, Hunter Biden showed little emotion when that verdict came down, but it appears his family is staying united. Hunter Biden leaving the courthouse hand in hand with his wife Melissa and the First Lady of the United States after becoming the first son of a president to be convicted of a felony. In the end, justice was done here. The verdict came quick with the 12-member panel deliberating for a total of three hours following emotional closing arguments on Monday. This jury and this judge, they were not going to waste any time. Prosecutor Leo Weiss said in his summation that text messages, bank records, and quote personal ugly and overwhelming testimony prove Hunter was a drug user when he bought a gun in 2018. But defense attorneys argued there's no way to prove the president's son was actually using drugs during the 11 days he had the gun. The defense tried to sow a seed of doubt in the jury's mind, playing not only to the hometown crowd but also to the jury's emotions, hoping to tap into their personal experiences with addiction and possibly create sympathy for Hunter. But in the end, it didn't work. When you hear his account of his struggle with drugs, you can't be anything but empathetic. But there was also an unavoidable series of criminal acts in all of this. Hunter Biden now faces up to 25 years in prison, but as a first-time offender, it's unlikely that he'll serve any serious jail time. In Wilmington, Delaware, Rebecca Kastor, Fox News.

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