Jonathan Turley warns Hunter Biden faces 'real possibility' of landing in prison after federal gun trial conviction

Jonathan Turley claims Hunter Biden could've gotten away with just probabtion had he not pleaded guilty in federal gun trial
UPDATED JUN 13, 2024
Jonathan Turley explained why Hunter Biden was likely to be imprisoned following his federal gun conviction (Getty Images)
Jonathan Turley explained why Hunter Biden was likely to be imprisoned following his federal gun conviction (Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Hunter Biden has increased his chances of landing in prison by pleading not guilty of federal gun charges before his conviction, Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley argued on June 12 episode of 'The Faulkner Focus.'

The jury in Wilmington, Delaware found Hunter Biden guilty on three counts of federal felony gun charges, two of which related to the purchase of a firearm, and the third for its possession while being addicted to a controlled substance. He could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing, according to CNN.


WILMINGTON, DELAWARE - JUNE 11: Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, joined by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, returns to court at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 11, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. Reports indicate that jurors have reached a verdict in Hunter Biden's trial on felony gun charges. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Hunter Biden's sentence is pending following his conviction in federal gun trial (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Jonathan Turley's take on Hunter Biden's upcoming sentencing

"What's fascinating about the decision to go forward with the trial is that it put at risk… the chance that Hunter Biden could very well be sentenced to jail," Turley said. "I've said all along that I believe that there is a real possibility here of a prison sentence. The best shot he had to reduce that likelihood was to plead guilty, which is why, all the way up to the beginning of this trial, I was writing, ‘You need to plead guilty.’"

"This is a lead pipe cinch of a case. You can get a two-level departure, as it's called, to plead guilty, and that would make it easier for the court to give you probation. He decided to put on a nullification defense, and it failed, but he then lost that departure. And so the judge is going to be in a tough position here. She has sentenced people to jail for this offense."

"There are reports out today that many of the Biden family believed that a Delaware jury would not convict Hunter Biden. This is, after all, Biden Town," he continued. "This is their hometown. This is the son of the favorite son of Delaware, and so I think that there were some people in the family that were shocked by the quick verdict. In my view, this was not worth the risk because this is not someone the defense counsel is going to want to see given a prison stint," he went on to say. 

"But the best way to avoid that is to plead guilty. Get those points with the judge. Remember, this judge watched that sweetheart deal fall apart in her courtroom. She triggered it. She simply asked the prosecutor, ‘Have you ever seen a deal like this?’ And he said no, and the whole thing just burst into flames."

"And then she sat there and watched them put on an obvious nullification defense, trying to get the jury just to ignore the evidence. None of that's going to play well with the judge in determining whether to sentence Hunter to jail, and the guidelines under the federal sentencing guidelines suggest that such a sentence is warranted. Now they're discretionary. The judge doesn't have to follow them, but none of that helps when it comes to that decision by the judge," he concluded.



 

Internet mocks Jonathn Turley's claims about Hunter Biden's possible prison sentence

"No, he won't! He'll get off," a user wrote on the social media platform X, responding to Turley's comments.



 

"Spoiler alert, Fox News 'experts' which they found in a Crackerjack box tend to be wrong the majority of the time," jibed another.



 

"Turley is wrong far more than he’s right," echoed a third.



 

"Cool, so that means trump is going to be facing jail time because he refused to plead guilty," quipped a fourth user.



 

"So, because he exercised his constitutional right to trial, you think he should be made an example?" inquired a fifth.



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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