The jury, consisting of six men and six women, Convicted On Tuesday, one of the jurors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told CBS News in an interview that they wanted to reconsider the evidence in Hunter Biden’s three felony firearms charges and “don’t want to rush to judgment.” Jurors also said politics were not influencing their decision.
“There was no talk of the president at all during deliberations,” said Juror No. 10, who declined to be named. “…Politics was not a factor in this case.”
The Delaware-based jury deliberated for about three hours after receiving the case Monday afternoon. When jurors first took a vote to find their position, the vote was 6-6, Juror No. 10 said.
“I may have been one of the six who pleaded not guilty,” the juror said, “It’s not that I believed he was innocent. We needed to look at the evidence. We didn’t want to rush to judgment. We didn’t want to ruin anyone’s life.”
The jury considered the evidence and ultimately agreed with prosecutors’ arguments that Hunter Biden violated federal law by purchasing and possessing a gun as a drug addict, and unanimously convicted him on all three charges.
Juror #10 explained how he reached the guilty verdict. The juror said the evidence in the case revolved around the paperwork Hunter Biden filled out when purchasing a gun, in which he falsely represented that he was not illegally using any controlled substances. The juror said Hunter Biden was apparently “free” of drugs at the time of the purchase.
“He knew what he was doing when he was asked to fill out the application,” the juror said.
“When he checked that box he knew he was an addict,” the juror added. “He knew he was using crack cocaine.”
The anonymous juror said it did not help the defense that a self-recorded audio recording of Hunter Biden’s book, “Beautiful Things,” was read in court. In the 2021 book, Hunter Biden openly acknowledged his struggle with drug addiction.
“His books were not helpful, especially in terms of hearing his own voice on the audiobook,” the juror was told. “He confessed that he was a drug addict.”
One juror, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the atmosphere in the courtroom as “solemn” as the verdict was read. There was so little time between the announcement that the verdict had been reached and the verdict being read that First Lady Jill Biden was unable to return to the courtroom in time.
“So I felt sympathy for his family,” the juror said.
President BidenThe president, who was absent from the trial but rescheduled to fly to Wilmington on Tuesday, said he accepts the trial’s outcome and that he loves his son.
Hunter Biden He could face up to 25 years in prison.However, the sentence will not be decided by a jury, but by the judge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“He’s no different than anybody else,” one anonymous juror said of Hunter Biden. “He needs more help than prison. Prison doesn’t help anybody.”
