Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, was found guilty of federal gun charges and drug use in a historic criminal trial against a child of a sitting US president. The 54-year-old was convicted on three charges related to a handgun he purchased in 2018 while he was addicted to crack cocaine.
The 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. Hunter Biden did not take the stand during the one-week trial, which First Lady Jill Biden attended for several days.
The President's son now awaits sentencing for the crimes -- the maximum of which can go up to 25 years.
Will Hunter Biden be sentenced to jail?
While the felony charges against him are unprecedented and the case is a culmination of a long history of drug use-related accusations, as a first-time offender, Hunter is unlikely to face jail time.
Some experts believe that Biden Jr will most likely be put on probation along with performing community service. Since long and rigorous sentences are reserved for repeat offenders, being a high-profile personality may result in a lenient sentence of over a year in a minimum-security prison with few restrictions.
Also, keeping such a high-profile offender in jail can prove to be a logistical nightmare for the Secret Service whose protection the 54-year-old gets as he is the US President's son.
One of the factors that help make Biden Jr's case for a lighter sentence is his apparent recovery from drug abuse. However, this did not lead to his lawyers getting any breaks during the trial.
Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was tough on his lawyers during the hearings, could choose to go for a harsher sentence. No date has been set for sentencing but the decision is expected to be taken in the next few weeks.
Will President Biden pardon his son?
US President Joe Biden flew to Delaware, where the trial was being held to meet his son Hunter. The 81-year-old hugged him and reaffirmed his "love and support' for him in a statement later.
"I am the President, but I am also a Dad. 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," he said.
The US president had said he would accept the case's outcome as "Hunter considers an appeal". After sentencing, Biden Jr will have 30 days to appeal the verdict.
However, President Biden has ruled out pardoning his son. Asked by reporters, whether he would rule out pardoning Hunter Biden, the president said, "Yes."
