Some of the 12 jurors who convicted Hunter Biden on three gun-related felony counts are now publicly speaking out — not only about their decision to find him guilty, but about the necessity of the case itself.
On Tuesday, the jury of six men and six women delivered its unanimous verdict finding President Joe Biden's son guilty after just three hours of deliberations. Jurors were instructed to base its decision on whether Hunter Biden lied on a federal form when purchasing a handgun in 2018 while he was addicted to crack cocaine (he has since been clean since June of 2019 according to sworn testimony). Jurors told CNN that while Biden was clearly guilty given the rules governing firearm purchases, some felt that prosecuting him over it was excessive.
"[The case] seemed like a waste of taxpayer dollars," one female juror said.
Another female juror said that while she voted with the other 11 members of the jury to convict the president's son, she didn't feel that a prison sentence was warranted. To illustrate her point, she alluded to one moment on the witness stand when Hallie Biden (the widow of the president's other son, Beau, who dated Hunter) discarded the weapon just 11 days after Hunter bought it, over concerns he may hurt himself.
"When he said he did not want that gun back, and that gun sat in evidence for almost five years, I think that’s what may have been what led to his downfall," she said. "If he had taken possession of that gun, I don’t know if we would have even had a trial."
Jurors added that despite concerns over the political implications of handing down a verdict for the son of a sitting U.S. president, they "just didn't feel the pressure" and that politics played no role in deliberations. And while First Lady Jill Biden attended some of the trial proceedings, jurors said that they were able to compartmentalize Hunter Biden's relationship to the First Family and just look at the facts of the case itself.
"[President Biden] never really even came in to play for me because his name was only brought up in one story in the trial. And that’s when it … kind of sunk in a little bit. Oh, wow: This is the sitting president’s son who’s on trial," a male juror said. "And so that was, yeah, that was kind of hard … but you kind of put that out of your mind. And after that, after it was brought up again, I did put it out in my mind."
Hunter Biden faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison. Judge Maryellen Noreika didn't announce a sentencing date, but said she would provide one within the next four months. President Biden has previously said he wouldn't pardon his son if he was convicted, and that he would respect the verdict and the legal process.
"I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal," Biden said. "Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that."
The gun case isn't the last criminal proceeding Hunter Biden will face. He's set to go to trial this September for tax-related charges. He has pleaded not guilty to the nine felony and misdemeanor charges of scheming to avoid paying roughly $1.4 million in taxes while living a lavish lifestyle.
Reprinted with permission from Alternet.
