Jury selection in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial kicked off on Monday in Delaware, as he faced three felony charges stemming from his alleged illegal purchase and possession of a firearm in 2018, while he was a drug user. President Joe Biden was not at the hearing, as he was scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Connecticut, but he did issue a statement, declining to weigh in on the trial, but offering a statement of support for his son, CBS News reported. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden’s statement read.
He added, “Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. A lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean.” That came days after a Manhattan jury found former American President, Donald Trump, guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush money criminal trial, an unprecedented and historic verdict that makes him the first former president in US history to be convicted of felony.
Judge Juan Merchan set a sentencing hearing for July 11, while Trump’s sentence was up to the judge, and it could include prison time or probation. Joe Biden’s son was indicted by a federal grand jury in September after a diversion agreement for a felony gun offence and a plea deal related to misdemeanour tax charges unravelled, when US District Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned whether the agreement would allow him.