A federal judge on Friday set Hunter Biden’s sentencing for gun possession for Nov. 13, just a week after the Nov. 5 presidential election, which his father, President Biden, recently withdrew from.
Hunter Biden was found guilty in June of lying about his use of illicit drugs when applying to buy a gun six years ago and possessing it illegally thereafter. It marked the first criminal conviction of the son of a sitting president.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika said any sentencing memoranda filed by either party requesting a departure from the federal sentencing guidelines must be delivered by Oct. 30, but if neither party requests a variance, those memos must be delivered by November 6th.
According to the United States Sentencing Commission, which sets recommended sentencing guidelines, a defendant like Hunter Biden would typically face 15 to 21 months in prison. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. First-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence.
However, this determination is entirely at Noreika’s discretion. Hunter Biden will likely meet with a federal parole officer, who will interview him and create a report with recommendations before his sentencing.
The three criminal convictions issued by a jury of 12 Delaware residents earlier this year stemmed from Hunter Biden’s purchase of a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018. When asked on a federal gun purchase form whether he used or was addicted to drugs illegal, he checked “no” and then possessed the gun illegally for 11 days.
Much of the six-day trial put Hunter Biden’s crack addiction under a microscope. He and his father have openly addressed his struggle with addiction, which was worsened by the death of Hunter’s brother, Beau Biden, from brain cancer in 2015.
Despite this, Special Counsel David Weiss – who brought the federal charges after being appointed last year to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by Hunter Biden – insisted the case was about “the illegal choices the defendant made while in his prime of addiction”, and not about the addiction itself.
Hunter Biden said in a statement after the verdict that he was “disappointed” with the outcome but was “blessed” to recover. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, promised to “vigorously pursue” all available legal challenges.
President Biden has said he will not pardon his son and intends to “continue to respect the judicial process” while his son considers an appeal.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
