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Verdict reached in Hunter Biden gun trial
Washington — The jury reached a verdict in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial on Tuesday morning, on its second day of deliberation in a trial that lasted just over a week.
The court heard difficult testimony about his struggle with drugs from several of the women in Hunter Biden’s life. The prosecution called his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan and Hallie Biden, the widow of his brother Beau Biden, with whom Hunter Biden was romantically involved during the period of time that he owned the firearm. It was Hallie Biden who discovered the gun in his truck. She testified that Hunter Biden was using drugs in October 2018 when he bought the gun, and prosecutors showed texts that said he was “sleeping on car smoking crack.”
Naomi Biden, called by the defense, testified that her father “seemed great” at the end of October 2018 and she did not spot any drug paraphernalia when she borrowed his truck. But she also said she knew her father “was struggling with addiction,” telling the court that “after my Uncle (Beau Biden) died, things got bad.” She said Hunter Biden never used illegal drugs in front of her.
What is Hunter Biden accused of?
He was indicted on three felony gun charges in September after a proposed plea deal with federal prosecutors unraveled.
He is accused of illegally purchasing and possessing a gun while he was addicted to crack cocaine. Federal law prohibits users of illegal drugs from owning firearms.
Prosecutors allege the president’s son lied about his drug use on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives form when he bought a revolver, speed loader and ammunition on Oct. 12, 2018, from StarQuest Shooters and Survival Supply, a gun store in Wilmington.
Hunter Biden owned the Colt Cobra .38 handgun for 11 days before Hallie Biden found it in the console of his truck and discarded it in a trash can outside a grocery store.
Afterward, she testified that she was going to “pretend” that she didn’t do it, but Hunter Biden texted her about the missing gun.
“Are you insane,” he allegedly texted her on Oct. 23, 2018, according to text messages read aloud during the trial. “Tell me now. This is no game. And you’re being totally irresponsible and unhinged.”
“It’s hard to believe anyone is that stupid,” he allegedly wrote in another message.
Hallie Biden went back to the trash can to retrieve the gun, but it was gone. An elderly man looking for recyclables found the gun and took it home. Delaware police later recovered the gun from the man.
Years later, prosecutors charged Hunter Biden with gun crimes as they pursued unrelated tax charges against him.
What is Hunter Biden charged with?
Two of the three counts are related to paperwork Hunter Biden filled out when he purchased the gun. The form includes questions about a person’s criminal record, whether they are buying the gun for themselves or someone else, their drug use and mental health. He’s charged with making a false statement on the application by saying he was not a drug user and lying to a licensed gun dealer.
The third count relates to his possession of the gun. Prosecutors say he knowingly possessed the gun for 11 days as he was battling an addiction to illegal drugs, a violation of federal law.
Hunter Biden’s defense
His attorneys argued that prosecutors must prove that he was using drugs the day he bought the gun. The form uses the word “are,” defense lawyer Abbe Lowell said in opening statements.
“It does not say have you ever been. It does not say have you ever used,” Lowell said. The defense also argued that Hunter Biden was abusing alcohol, not drugs, during that time.
All three counts are felonies, and if convicted of all counts, he could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000.
Scott MacFarlane contributed reporting.
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North Pole, Alaska — ‘Twas the week before Christmas and plenty was stirring at the Santa Claus House in the city of North Pole, Alaska.
The iconic Christmas-themed store checked its list twice, realizing that it is far more naughty than nice if any of the gifts it sends out arrive late to their destinations around the globe.
“People are used to waiting until the very last minute to shop online, which presents a challenge for us having to process that order and ship it out from Alaska,” said Paul Brown, manager of the Santa Claus House, which for decades has been sending thousands of annual Santa letters to children worldwide.
In North Pole, which is located about 13 miles southeast of Fairbanks, candy canes double as street lights, and Christmas takes on special meaning for resident and FedEx driver Bill Soplu.
“Yeah, this is a wonderful time of the year,” Soplu said. “Everybody’s so happy right now, so it makes our job a lot easier.”
The cold weather doesn’t diminish Souplou’s cheer.
“Just the other day it was 30 above, you know, and then you wake up the next morning, it’s 30 below,” he said.
Nor do the moose.
“We don’t want to mess around with those guys,” he adds.
The gifts Soplu is delivering come from an airfield 20 miles down a frozen road. There are only a few hours of daylight in Fairbanks during the winter months, and the temperature hovers around zero.
An average of 3,000 packages a day come through Fairbanks during the holiday season. Capt. Joseph Erikson is a delivery pilot for FedEx.
“I know there’s a good chance there’s a special present on that plane, and it’s important to get that to that family,” Erikson told CBS News.
Before they reach Fairbanks, shipments from around the world first come through a sprawling FedEx sorting center at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
During the holidays, there are 33 delivery planes a day which fly in and out of Anchorage carrying about 80,000 packages. The planes run around the clock so gifts can span the globe in as little as 24 hours.
“We’ve been putting these plans in place for months so we can make sure we’re getting those packages to our customers,” said David Lewis, senior manager for surface operations for FedEx in Alaska.
