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Hunter Biden trial verdict: President's son found GUILTY of all charges at federal gun trial

3 months ago 13

By Josh Boswell In Wilmington, Delaware For Dailymail.Com and Dailymail.Com Political Reporters

Published: 12:33 BST, 11 June 2024 | Updated: 16:58 BST, 11 June 2024

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 Hunter Biden has been found guilty of three felonies today in his Delaware gun crimes trial.

The Wilmington, Delaware jury unanimously voted to convict Joe Biden ’s son of two counts of lying on a federal form to buy a gun, and one count of possessing the firearm while abusing drugs.

The historic conviction marks the first time a current President’s child has been found guilty of a felony.

He will now await Judge Maryellen Noreika to decide on a sentence for the crimes, which could be as high as 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine – though the typical sentence is much lower.  

Follow all the updates from our reporters in court in Wilmington, Delaware, and our team covering the biggest stories in Washington D.C.  

Breaking:Hunter Biden is found GUILTY on all three counts

Count 1: False statement (firearms sale) - GUILTY

Count 2: False statement (transaction record) - GUILTY

Count 3: Illegal possession of a firearm - GUILTY

Breaking:Jury has reached a verdict

Jury verdict sheet released

Hunter Biden verdict sheet 13517461

Hunter Biden walks out of court holding hands with first lady Jill and wife Melissa

Hunter Biden walked out of court for the first time as a convicted felon holding hands with his stepmother Jill and wife Melissa Cohen.

The president's son had a smile on his face as he got into a waiting SUV, just minutes after he was found guilty of all three federal gun charges.

Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, accompanied by his mother, first lady Jill Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. Hunter Biden has been convicted of all 3 felony charges in the federal gun trial. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Jill Biden arrived in court shortly after the verdict was read

First Lady Jill Biden missed the reading of the verdict as she returned to the Wilmington court house.

She has been a constant fixture in court while her stepson has been on trial.

First lady Jill Biden arrives to federal court on hearing there is a verdict, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

President Joe Biden has said he will not pardon Hunter

President Joe Biden answered 'yes' in his recent sit-down with ABC's David Muir when asked if pardoning Hunter Biden was off the table.

The president also answered in the affirmative when Muir probed whether he would accept the result of his son's federal gun trial.

Hunter Biden was found guilty on all three charges Tuesday morning.

Jury chuckles at judge joke

From Dailymail.com's Josh Boswell in court:

The jury continued deliberating Hunter Biden’s gun crimes charges on Tuesday morning.

The 12 Delaware men and women were called into court at 9am and were asked by Judge Maryellen Noreika standard questions of whether they had received any outside information about the case or spoken with anyone but each other about it. They all replied no.

The jury seemed to be in light spirits, chuckling at a small joke Judge Noreika made.

It was perhaps an indication that Hunter’s defense attorney Abbe Lowell’s words during his closing arguments on Monday, that they ‘hold his life in your hands’, were not weighing too heavily on them. The judge dismissed them to continue their deliberations.

Hunter showed up for the short hearing with his wife Melissa, defense team, and Hollywood attorney Kevin Morris who is bankrolling the defense. Morris had been attracting attention with flamboyant suits including a tweed ensemble and bright green tie last week, but today was dressed in a more sober charcoal.

It was prosecutor Leo Wise who had a flashy outfit today, sporting a light tan suit unusual for a government lawyer.

Hunter, his entourage and Secret Service detail left the courthouse shortly after the jury were dismissed.

President Joe Biden set to address victims of gun violence as jury deliberates Hunter's case

President Joe Biden is set to address victims and survivors of gun violence Tuesday afternoon at Everytown’s Gun Sense University, taking place this week at the Washington Hilton.

The speech comes as the jury in Hunter Biden's federal gun case starts deliberating for a full day.

Biden will 'highlight the progress to keep guns out of dangerous hands' the White House said Monday.

He is set to announce that the Department of Justice has charged more than 500 defendants for violating new gun trafficking laws created by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the piece of legislation Biden ushered through Congress and signed into law in June 2022.

Naomi Biden's desperate texts to father Hunter reveal how she was stood up by her dad while waiting with a cold steak and salad at famed Hollywood hotel

Naomi Biden's desperate texts to her father reveal how Hunter Biden had been difficult to reach, repeatedly reneged on plans, and even stood his daughter up for lunch at a Hollywood hotel, in the year he bought the gun.

DailyMail.com has obtained the devastating messages between the president's son and his 30-year-old daughter that were read out in court on Friday – which may have cost him his gun crimes trial.

The texts show Hunter was unreliable and hard to get hold of during a crucial period in the days after he bought a revolver in October 2018 - casting doubt on his lawyers' claim that he had been sober at the time.

But other texts not read to the jury also show Naomi repeatedly reaching out to her father, desperately trying to spend time with him and connect, while he failed to reply, bailed on plans, and complained about her spending his money, despite the First Son earning millions in 2018 from his overseas deals.

Hunter departs court with wife Melissa by his side while jury deliberates

Hunter departed the court around 9:21 a.m. with his wife Melissa as the jury deliberates.

He is not expected to return until they come back with a verdict.

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden walk outside the federal court as his trial on criminal gun charges continues, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 11, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah Beier

Breaking: Jury resumes deliberations in Hunter's case

After only deliberating for an hour on Monday, the jury is back at it again Tuesday morning.

There is speculation that a verdict could come before the lunch hour.

If convicted on the three federal gun charges, Hunter faces up to 25 years in prison.

His father, President Joe Biden, said recently that he is not considering a pardon for Hunter.

Hunter Biden arrives to court with wife Melissa Cohen as jury could determine his fate today

The damning messages from Hunter that could blow a hole in his defense

Hunter Biden tried to meet up with a drug dealer just 24 hours before he lied about his crack cocaine use to buy a gun, damning texts revealed by prosecutors in court on Monday suggest,

The messages from October 11, 2018, show the president's son trying to arrange a meeting at a 7-Eleven in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.

He pleaded guilty in June 2023 to a count of using a communication device to facilitate a drug conspiracy.

Hunter Biden text message evidence 13513351  Hunter Biden Trial Blog

Hunter Biden text message evidence 13513351  Hunter Biden Trial Blog

Hunter Biden text message evidence 13513351  Hunter Biden Trial Blog

Hunter Biden text message evidence 13513351  Hunter Biden Trial Blog

Jill Biden's 3,600-mile round trip from France to Delaware to spend two days at Hunter's trial could cost up to $345,000

Taxpayers will pick up the majority of cost for Jill Biden's whirlwind flights between Wilmington, Delaware, and France so she could be  at son Hunter's side during his federal gun trial although the Democratic Party will chip in some funds.

The first lady racked up $345,400 in flight costs, the National Taxpayers Union Foundation estimated, as she boomeranged between the United States and France last week, traveling separately from husband Joe Biden so she could support her family at home while also representing the United States abroad.

Her political party will repay the government for what it would cost for her to fly commercially with taxpayers footing the rest of the bill.

Biden sparks concerns as he appears to FREEZE during Juneteenth celebration concert at the White House alongside a dancing Kamala Harris

President Joe Biden sparked concerns Monday night when he appeared to freeze for the better part of a minute before his speech became slurred past the point of comprehension during a lively Juneteenth celebration at the White House.

During the event ahead of the national holiday next week, the Commander-in-Chief seemed to short-circuit as the rest of the crowd, including Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, grooved along to the lively band.

Philonise Floyd, brother of the late George Floyd, flanked Biden on his left and eventually noticed the concerning pause he was taking and wrapped his arm around him in an apparent effort to help.

Floyd was able to get a response out of Biden when he extended a 'pound it' fist in his direction, which the president met with his own fist.

But Biden would go on to have a further meltdown as he delivered a speech following the musical performance.

Prosecution tells jury 'people sitting in the gallery' including Jill Biden are 'not evidence'

First lady Jill Biden arrives to federal court, Monday, June 10, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Attorneys started closing arguments in Hunter Biden's gun trial after court resumed following a lunch break.

The prosecution is up first after bringing FBI agent Erika Jensen back to the stand.

'No one is above the law,' stated prosecutor Leo Wise.

He also told the jury to ignore the big wigs in the audience, including First Lady Jill Biden.

'All of this is not evidence. People sitting in the gallery are not evidence.'

Hunter Biden withdrew $800 from ATM and met with drug dealer just hours before revolver purchase, bombshell text messages reveal

Smoking gun text messages show Hunter set up a meeting with a convicted drug dealer the night before he bought a .38 revolver.

He purchased the Colt Cobra .38 Special revolver on October 12, 2018 by claiming on a federal form that he wasn’t abusing drugs – a lie for which he is now on trial in Delaware.

The day before the gun purchase, Hunter texted violent, convicted drug dealer Eladio Otero Jr. to ‘meet me 7/11 at 3’, according to records from the First Son’s abandoned laptop.

Otero was convicted last year of ‘use of a communication device to facilitate a drug conspiracy’ in a Delaware federal case overseen by David Weiss, who is now the Special Counsel prosecuting Hunter.

Otero was previously convicted of assault after being arrested for a 2007 armed robbery in which he held a knife to the victim’s throat while his accomplice pointed a gun at the man’s head, according to a Maryland police report.

Welcome to DailyMail.com's daily U.S. politics blog - with live coverage of Hunter Biden's wait for the verdict in his gun trial

Welcome to DailyMail.com's daily U.S. politics blog, with live coverage of verdict watch in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial.

The jury returns at 9am for their second day of deliberations after they were sent home on Monday night, leaving the president's son waiting to learn his fate.

In closing arguments, his lawyer Abbe Lowell tried to throw his exes under the bus and slammed the prosecution for their 'cruel' cross-examination of his daughter Naomi.

Here is what happened in court during closing arguments:

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