Hunter Biden has been found guilty of lying on a gun purchase form and illegally possessing a firearm for 11 days in 2018.
He faces up to 25 years in prison, but first-time offenders rarely receive maximum sentences.
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The big picture: The conviction of Hunter Biden and the ongoing scrutiny have become significant aspects of the 2024 election year.
- Joe Biden has tried to distance himself from the trial to avoid interference in a criminal matter brought by his own Justice Department.
- Hunter Biden and Donald Trump have both claimed to be victims of politics, but Joe Biden has said he will accept the verdict and will not seek to pardon his son.
- Hunter Biden’s legal troubles are not over, as he still faces a trial in September for failing to pay taxes.
Driving the news: The prosecution focused on highlighting Hunter Biden’s drug problem during the trial, with personal testimonies and evidence presented.
- Hunter Biden did not testify, but audio excerpts from his memoir were played during the trial.
- Prosecutors argued that Hunter Biden’s drug addiction influenced his purchase of the gun and subsequent lying on the form.
- Defense attorney Abbe Lowell argued that Hunter Biden’s state of mind was different when he bought the gun and when he wrote his memoir.
- Hunter Biden has accused the Justice Department of succumbing to pressure from Republicans in charging him.
- The gun case emerged when Hallie Biden, Hunter’s sister-in-law, found the unloaded gun and discarded it in a trash can, leading to police involvement.
