Hunter Biden Found Guilty on All Gun Charges

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Facts

  • A Delaware federal court jury has found US Pres. Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, guilty of two counts of making false statements when buying a firearm and one count of illegally possessing a firearm in 2018. All three charges carry a total of up to 25 years in prison.1
  • The trial judge said a sentencing date has not been set yet, but noted that it typically occurs around 120 days after the verdict, which would be early October. He also faces a fine of up to $750K, but federal guidelines suggest a much shorter jail time and financial penalty.2
  • The jury deliberated for three hours after the week-long trial, during which Hunter's family members and ex-romantic partners testified about his crack cocaine addiction before and around the time of the gun purchase.3
  • The defense blamed the gun store owner for overlooking other parts of the purchase process and questioned the wording of the firearm form. His attorney further noted that the form questioned drug use within the present tense 'are you' at a time when Hunter justifiably believed he was sober.4
  • The prosecution also told the jury not to focus on the president's family in the courtroom, arguing that 'no one is above the law.' Instead, they urged them to focus on the text messages and excerpts from Hunter's memoir that described his years-long battle with addiction.5
  • Hunter Biden now faces a potential separate trial in California on tax-related charges. He had sought a deal with the government last year in which he would plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges in exchange for not facing the gun charges, but that deal fell through.6

Sources: 1New York Post, 2New York Times, 3The Hill, 4CBS, 5inquirer.com and 6wsj.com.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by New York Times. Hunter Biden fell down the dark hole of drug addiction, the consequences of which led to criminal actions that tainted both his life and the reputation of his very famous family. His dad also walked the fine line between supporting his son and upholding the rule of law, which is why a jury found him guilty. With Hunter now judged by both a jury and the court of public opinion, it's time for Americans to put partisanship aside and focus on the tragic human aspect of this story.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by X.com. While it's nice to see the corrupt son of a corrupt president face justice, Americans should not view this as a win. Pres. Joe Biden's Justice Department has used these gun charges to keep public attention away from Hunter and his father's foreign bribery allegations. The White House will now use this to justify its prosecutions of Trump, but this is in no way an equal application of the law.
  • Narrative C, as provided by wsj.com. While it may be difficult to do, anyone who believes in the constitutional right to bear arms, whether they like the president or not, should be upset about this verdict. When America was founded, both alcohol and opium were known substances, yet no laws prohibited users of those substances from possessing guns. If the justice system can violate the gun rights of the president's son, what do you think they'd be willing to do to an average citizen?

Predictions