Policy
WILMINGTON, Del. — Hunter Biden’s fate will depend on a 12-member jury made up of locals.
Only one of them has to show sympathy – and believe there is a reasonable doubt that President Biden’s son lied about his drug addiction when applying for a federal firearms license – for he gets off on the three charges he faces regarding his purchase of a . 38 caliber revolver.
But if they all find him guilty, the 54-year-old Biden scion will make history as the first son of a sitting US president to be criminally convicted while his father is still in office.
The prosecution finished its case against Hunter on Friday, and the defense could still call more witnesses Monday before closing arguments are heard from both sides.
If convicted, Hunter would face a maximum of 25 years in prison, although potential first-time offenders like him don’t get that amount, and the judge could decide not to give him any prison time.
The jurors, dressed in modest civilian clothing and largely middle-class, stood in sharp juxtaposition in the courtroom with Hunter’s family and group, some of whom came from wealthy families and generally donned crisp business suits and designer clothes throughout the trial.
As is common in cases of this nature, the judge, defense and prosecution interviewed about 65 people to establish a pool of about 36 jurors that they were then able to narrow down to a panel of 12 with four alternates.
Hunter’s team was awarded 10 strikes and the government six from the main jury, and both sides were each awarded two strikes for their replacements.
On the second day of the trial, Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika announced that one of the panelists, Juror No. 3, was opting out due to transportation issues. As a result, a replacement took that spot, although it’s not entirely clear who.
A common theme that emerged during jury selection was that a large percentage of the potential panelists had loved ones in their lives who struggled with addiction.
Here’s what we know about the jurors who will decide Hunter’s fate:
Juror 1
Description: Blonde white woman.
-Watch “CBS Evening News”.
-Sister was arrested for credit card fraud and drug trafficking, then convicted “probably 10 years ago” and spent time in prison.
Juror 2
Description: White woman with gray hair.
-Previously worked in Washington, DC, for the Secret Service as a contract negotiator.
-Her husband also worked for the secret service.
-She retired about 12 years ago and her husband is also retired.
-Her husband has a handgun. She said she didn’t know much about the paperwork needed to purchase a gun.
Juror 3
Description: Black woman.
-I vaguely knew there was a case involving Hunter. I didn’t know the details.
-Gets most of his news from YouTube.
-His mother bought a gun, but she didn’t know what type and she wasn’t familiar with the administrative process.
Juror 4
Description: Black woman.
-Felt that people who smoke weed should be allowed to buy a gun, but was adamant that she could put that aside and be impartial.
-Her father and brother purchased a gun, but she is unfamiliar with the purchasing process. His father owns one gun and his brother owns several.
-She previously served on a jury about 20 years ago in an assault case, and then in another case last year involving a gun.
Juror 5
Description: Black man.
-Recent college graduate currently working Tuesdays and weekends. He had an interview scheduled as the trial began.
-Knew several people who owned handguns, but he did not own one and was unfamiliar with the gun purchasing process.
– Believes the Justice Department has sometimes targeted people for political reasons and cited the civil rights movement as an example.
Juror 6
Description: Black man.
-Follows CNN and NBC.
-I didn’t know many details about the Hunter case and had only vaguely heard of the story.
-Has a concealed carry permit for Delaware and out of the state of Florida. I took training to get it.
-Owns three pistols and had others in the past. It is estimated that he owned approximately six firearms during his life.
-He uses guns for personal protection and has strong opinions on guns – he has stated that he believes in the Second Amendment and that gun owners should follow the law.
Juror 7
Description: White man with glasses.
-The father suffered from substance abuse problems and owned firearms.
-The judge asked him very few questions.
Juror 8
Description: Black man with glasses.
-Father killed in 2004 crime.
-Brother arrested for a crime around 2015 involving a gun.
-He specialized in forensic biology and has experience in laboratory work. He sought to work for the state of Delaware to help police.
-His half-sister works for the New York Police Department, but he doesn’t talk to her much.
Juror 9
Description: Black woman.
-House broken into more than 10 years ago.
-Bought a gun and had to fill out paperwork for a background check, but she thinks she can be impartial. She noted that store employees helped her fill it out.
-She was a junior about 20 years ago in a Philadelphia case involving drugs and guns. She deliberated on this matter and the accused was found guilty.
Juror 10
Description: A white, bald man.
-He remembers briefly talking with someone, probably his brother, about the Hunter case and knew it was related to drugs and guns. He told this person not to say much because they had jury duty.
-He insisted he didn’t know much about the case and had no opinion on it.
-He has family members who own guns.
-A brother-in-law and another loved one in his life were struggling with addiction. Both are deceased.
Juror 11
Description: white woman
-The family has weapons for hunting, but this is not the case.
-While she doesn’t personally struggle with drugs, her childhood best friend died of an overdose and has been struggling with drugs for some time.
Juror 12
Description: Black man.
-His older brother was addicted to PCP as well as heroin and was admitted to rehab several times. Even though he wasn’t 100%, he thinks his brother will return to rehab soon.
-He claimed his older brother owned a gun, but he didn’t know if it was before he started using drugs.
-Believing that drug users should not own guns, although he later added that people who were former drug users should not be blocked. He also had similar views on alcohol.
Alternating 1
Description: Black woman.
-Vaguely heard of the affair.
– My brother is a retired police officer.
-Given to his brother’s candidacy for the state legislature.
-She previously appeared before a jury in Delaware in an automobile trial, but the plaintiffs lost the case.
Alternating 2
Description: White woman with glasses.
-Has two young school age children and there were some concerns about scheduling.
-I saw the headlines about the Hunter case in passing, but I was not familiar with the facts of the case.
-The father-in-law is an air traffic controller at Dover Air Force Base and therefore had some logistical communication with the Secret Service.
-She personally wants guns to be more restricted in the United States to curb mass school shootings, but she said she can put those beliefs aside.
-She says she largely ignores the information, but Facebook was her main source.
Alternative 3
Description: Young white woman.
-She only heard about the Hunter case in passing and has no opinion on it. His father told him that jury duty probably had something to do with Hunter.
-His grandfather owned guns and his uncle was a police officer.
-She has friends and family members who have suffered from alcohol or drug problems. This includes an uncle who went to prison for drug addiction.
Alternating 4
Description: Black woman.
-It took her a little while to reveal that she made a political donation to former President Obama a long time ago.
-She was adamant that she could be impartial in this matter.
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