Chance of Biden Going to Prison Could Be 'Pretty Low'

GOP's Gaetz calls conviction 'pretty dumb'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 11, 2024 7:37 PM CDT
Chance of Biden Going to Prison Could Be 'Pretty Low'
President Biden hugs his son Hunter Biden at Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The president's son is now a convicted felon and while Hunter Biden may not be able to vote for his father in November, analysts believe he's unlikely to spend much time in prison. Jeffrey Brown, former co-chief of the general crimes unit in the Manhattan US attorney's office, tells Politico that he believes the chances of Biden getting a prison sentence are "pretty low," based on factors including his lack of criminal history and the fact that the three gun-related felonies he was convicted of on Tuesday are rarely prosecuted.

  • Maximum sentence is highly unlikely. Other legal experts tell CBS News that prison time is a possibility, but probably only a year or two instead of the maximum 25 years. Judge Maryellen Noreika didn't set a firm sentencing date on Tuesday, but she said it would be around 120 days after the conviction.

  • Voting rights. Politico reports that it's unlikely that Biden will be able to vote in November if he is registered to vote in Delaware, which requires felons to serve their full sentences before they regain voting rights. But he spends most of his time in California, where felons can vote if they're not serving time. Even if he is sentenced to prison time, he may be able to cast a vote early if he is registered in California.
  • Jurors speak out. Several jurors spoke out after the verdict was delivered Tuesday. One man told the New York Post that the jury was split 6-6 at the end of Monday but five who were against a guilty verdict had changed their minds by the time they reconvened Tuesday and a sixth soon followed. Another juror, a woman, told the Post that the trial was "a waste of taxpayers' dollars" and Biden should have just been fined. She said that despite the "political climate," deliberations went smoothly. "It turned out much better than expected," she said. "There was no fighting in the jury room."
  • Republicans react. Donald Trump's campaign called the trial "nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family," while other Republicans criticized the conviction and the gun law behind it, the Hill reports. "Hunter might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it," said Republican Rep. Thomas Massie. GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz said the conviction "is kinda dumb."
  • A hug from his father. After he landed at the Delaware Air National Guard base on Tuesday, President Biden hugged his son, CNN reports. Earlier Tuesday, the president said he accepted the verdict and will respect the judicial process while an appeal is considered. Last week, he ruled out a pardon.
(More Hunter Biden trial stories.)

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