US president's son Hunter Biden found guilty ahead of US elections

US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all three counts against him by a 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware, federal court of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.

He became the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted of a crime, reported France 24.

After the verdict was read, he lightly nodded his head but otherwise showed little reaction. He then patted his lawyer Abbe Lowell on the back as well as hugged another member of his legal team.

Then, he left the courthouse without making a statement.

Afterwards, his father, US President Joe Biden, issued a statement saying he accepted the outcome of the case and would respect the judicial process as his son considers an appeal.

No date was set by the judge for sentencing, however, he added that the timeline is usually within 120 days. Notably, that would place it no later than a month before the US presidential election.

For the gun charges, the sentencing guidelines are 15 to 21 months, however, legal experts say defendants in similar cases often get shorter sentences. Moreover, they are less likely to be incarcerated if they abide by the terms of their pretrial release.

Hunter Biden’s legal troubles would have no impact on whether they voted for his father in November, as per some 61% of registered voters responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in February.

This trial was followed by the May 30 criminal conviction of Donald Trump, who became the first former US president to be found guilty of a felony.