A jury of 12 citizens from Delaware, in the United States, began deliberating in the trial against Hunter Biden on gun possession, after the defense and prosecution presented their closing arguments.
They will resume deliberations this Tuesday (11).
This is the first time in US history that the son of a sitting president has gone on trial. The indictment was brought by the Department of Justice, specifically by David Weiss, the special counsel appointed last year to oversee the Hunter Biden investigation.
Hunter Biden, 54, is accused of illegally purchasing and possessing a gun while abusing or addicted to drugs, a violation of federal law.
He has pleaded not guilty to all three charges, although he has spoken publicly about his struggles with alcohol and crack addiction.
The first two charges are linked to the purchase of the weapon itself.
When a person purchases a gun in the United States, they must fill out a form with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and state that they are legally authorized to purchase the gun. Hunter Biden was accused of lying on those forms.
Questions include:
- Have you been convicted of a crime?
- Are you a fugitive?
- Are you in the country illegally?
- And, importantly for this case, are you an “illegal user of or addicted to” illegal drugs?
Hunter Biden reportedly checked the box that said “No” to the last question.
The third charge refers to possession of the weapon. It is also against federal law to own a gun if you are using drugs.
Hunter Biden had the gun for 11 days in October 2018 before his girlfriend threw it in a dumpster because she was worried about her partner’s mental health, according to the indictment and texts made public in recent court filings.
If convicted of all three charges, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, although he would likely receive much less than the maximum as a first-time offender.
Joe Biden previously stated that he will not grant his son a presidential pardon if he is convicted.
Source: CNN Brasil
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