Judge Delivers Final Ruling — Former First Son Hunter Biden Learns His Punishment

Judge Delivers Final Ruling — Former First Son Hunter Biden Learns His Punishment

In what has become one of the most closely watched legal sagas of recent American political history, Hunter Biden — the son of President Joe Biden and former first son of the United States — has reached the end of a long legal odyssey involving criminal convictions, complex legal maneuvering, and ultimately a presidential pardon that superseded what would have been his punishment in court.

This case has captivated the public, drawn sharp partisan lines, and raised powerful questions about law, justice, clemency, privilege, and accountability. But what exactly happened? Why did Hunter Biden face criminal prosecution in the first place? What was the judge’s final ruling, and what punishment did he ultimately receive?

Let’s unpack the story from start to finish — and look beyond the headlines to understand why this moment resonates so widely.

Understanding the Charges: Gun and Tax Cases

Hunter Biden’s legal troubles date back to actions that occurred years before his father became president.

In 2018, he purchased a revolver in Delaware. The prosecution later argued that he made false statements on a federal form when buying the gun by denying he was an unlawful drug user, even though he had struggled with addiction at the time. He also possessed the firearm for about 11 days — a period during which the government said he was a user of illegal drugs, which made such possession unlawful.

That case led to a federal trial that began in June 2024, and on June 11, 2024, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty on all three felony counts related to the gun purchase. It marked the first time the child of a sitting U.S. president had been convicted of a crime in federal court.

Separately, he faced federal tax charges. Prosecutors alleged that he failed to pay his taxes over several years — in some cases amounting to over $1.4 million in unpaid taxes — and charged him with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts.

These two strands of cases — the gun trial and the tax case — set the stage for a complex legal process that would unfold over months and even into the presidential transition.

Sentencing Windows and Federal Rulemaking

In a normal federal case after conviction, a judge will review the law and sentencing guidelines and then issue a punishment ranging from fines to prison time.

For the gun charges alone, Hunter Biden faced a theoretical maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison — though legal experts and historical precedent for similar offenses suggested a much shorter sentence, or even probation.

Sentencing for the gun conviction was scheduled for December 12, 2024, and the tax case for another date around mid-December, meaning that the courts would soon determine exactly what punishment Hunter Biden would suffer under federal law.

Continue reading…