Hunter Biden does not belong in jail, juror says
One of the 12 jurors who found Hunter Biden guilty on federal gun charges said in a Tuesday interview that he doesn’t think the president’s son belongs in jail.
The unnamed juror, who spoke with CNN by phone in an interview on “Inside Politics,” said that during deliberations on the erdict, “We were not thinking of the sentencing.”
“And I really don’t think that Hunter belongs in jail,” the juror, only identified as Juror No. 10, said when asked if Hunter Biden should be sentenced to jail.
The individual spoke out less than two hours after the jury announced its verdict, convicting Hunter Biden on two charges of making false statements about his use of illicit drugs when buying a gun in 2018 and another charge of unlawfully possessing the firearm for 11 days.
The trial, which lasted just more than a week, spotlighted Hunter Biden’s addiction to cocaine around the time he checked “no” on a federal gun purchase form questioning whether he unlawfully used or was addicted to narcotics or other drugs.
Juror No. 10 pointed to the way the charges were bought in the first place, in explaining his view that Hunter Biden doesn’t “belong” in jail.
In testimony last week before the jury, Hallie Biden, who is the widow of President Biden’s son, Beau, and who later had a romantic relationship with Hunter Biden, said she “panicked” when she discovered a gun in Hunter Biden’s truck in 2018 and discarded it.
Hallie Biden told the jury she stuffed the gun in shopping bag and disposed of it in a dumpster outside a nearby grocery store in Delaware.
“If you looked at this case, you realize that when Hallie dumped the gun in the trash can and it was retrieved, and Hunter Biden did not want to press charges — because he was the victim of a theft of the firearm — he did not want to press any charges against Hallie,” Juror No. 10 told CNN.
The juror added that Hunter Biden could have taken his gun back, which the juror said “may have been what led to his downfall.”
“Had he had he taken possession of that gun, I don’t know if we would even have a trial because, you know, he may have sold the gun, got rid of the gun, sold it back to the gun shop, or whatever,” the juror said. “I believe that that means it was sitting in evidence and somebody got a hold of it and said, ‘Hey, let’s check this out a little bit more and see exactly how he obtained that gun.’”
Elsewhere in the interview, the juror said he thought the trial was a good use of taxpayer money, noting it centered squarely on whether Hunter Biden bought a gun while addicted to cocaine.
Hunter Biden faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, though first-time offenders are rarely given the maximum penalty.
President Biden said recently he would not pardon his son if he was convicted on the federal charges.
Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell said the defense team would “vigorously pursue legal challenges” following the conviction.
The president’s son, in a dual statement with his attorney, said he was grateful for the love and support he received from his wife, Melissa, and his community but was disappointed by the outcome.
“Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” Hunter Biden said.
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