Sitting US president’s child convicted for first time in history

Hunter Biden, the 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden, was found guilty on Tuesday of federal gun charges in a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting U.S. president.

The verdict came after a one-week trial in Wilmington, Delaware, the family hometown, where Biden faced three felony counts related to his 2018 purchase of a handgun while addicted to crack cocaine.

The 12-member jury deliberated for about three hours over two days before reaching a verdict. Hunter Biden did not take the stand during the trial, which was attended by first lady Jill Biden on several days.

President Biden expressed his “love and support” for his son in a statement released immediately after the conviction, saying, “I am the President, but I am also a Dad.” He added, “So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”

Biden also stated, “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.” The White House has also stated there would be no presidential pardon for Hunter Biden.

Special counsel David Weiss, who brought the case against Hunter Biden, addressed reporters following the verdict, emphasizing that “no one in this country is above the law.” He added, “Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant.”

Weiss underscored that the case was “not just about addiction” but also about “the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction, his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun, and the choice to then possess that gun.”

Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender, jail time is unlikely. A date for sentencing was not set but is expected to take place in the next few months.

The trial outcome comes less than two weeks after the conviction of former President Donald Trump on business fraud charges, complicating Democrats’ efforts to keep the election focus on Trump, the first former president convicted of a crime.

In addition to being a political distraction, Hunter Biden’s legal woes have reopened painful emotional wounds for the family from his time as a drug addict. His brother Beau died from cancer in 2015, and his sister Naomi died as an infant in a 1972 car crash that also killed their mother, Neilia, Joe Biden’s first wife.

Hunter Biden, a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, was charged with falsely stating when buying a .38 caliber revolver in 2018 that he was not using drugs illegally. He was also charged with illegal possession of the firearm, which he had for just 11 days in October of that year.

The president’s son has long been the target of hard-right Republicans, with Trump allies investigating him at length in Congress on allegations of corruption and influence-peddling. However, no charges have ever been brought.

Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China and Ukraine have also formed the basis for attempts by Republican lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against his father. The Trump campaign referenced these allegations in reaction to Hunter Biden’s conviction, calling it “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family.”