Secret Service Speaks About Potential Hunter Biden Prison Term
Hunter Biden’s Secret Service protection will remain intact despite his conviction for lying on a form to obtain a firearm while he was addicted to drugs.
"Hunter Biden’s Secret Service protection will remain unchanged despite this week’s judicial outcome," said U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi to Newsweek.
The Secret Service is required to protect the children of sitting presidents until they turn 16, but they often extend this protection beyond that age.
"Hunter Biden, whose codename is 'Captain,' received Secret Service detail during his trial and is expected to return to the courthouse with agents for his sentencing hearing. A date for the hearing has not been set, but sentencing typically occurs 120 days after a conviction. Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection since his father took office," Newsweek reported.
"Secret Service was also present at the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump earlier this year. However, while Trump is entitled to lifetime protection as a former president, Hunter Biden could lose his detail if his father loses the upcoming election," the report added.
Facing up to 25 years in prison, it is unlikely Hunter Biden will serve that amount of time as a first-time offender and may avoid prison altogether.
"In all reality, and not because his last name is Biden—simply because anybody convicted of this kind of crime would probably get probation and a fine—that’s probably what he’ll get as well," legal analyst Sara Azari told NewsNation. "He’s not being treated above the law or any differently."
A juror from Hunter Biden’s trial discussed the evidence that led to his conviction.
According to the juror and others on the panel, a series of incriminating text messages between Hunter Biden and his sister-in-law were pivotal.
A juror who spoke to the New York Post said messages between Hunter and Hallie Biden, his late brother Beau’s wife with whom Hunter had a relationship, were crucial in demonstrating his state of mind when he purchased the gun.
"[The text messages showed], in my opinion, he was trying to get drugs," said a juror, described as a 51-year-old black woman from upper Delaware.
During her trial testimony, Hallie Biden was shown a text message from October 13, 2018, one day after Hunter purchased the gun. The text indicated he was sitting in a car waiting for a drug dealer named Mookie. Hallie testified she believed "that he was buying crack cocaine." Another text from Hunter the following day stated he was smoking crack and sleeping in a car.
Hunter Biden "looks kind of defeated. He looks kind of helpless to me," the juror said. "I think he just needs to get away somewhere and get some real rehab if he hasn’t. Hopefully, he’s still not using."
Although the verdict was quickly reached on Tuesday, it seemed different on Monday following an informal vote, according to another juror. Five jurors changed their minds overnight. The final juror was initially unsure if Hunter was using crack at the time of the gun purchase but, after reviewing the evidence again, concluded he was.
The upper Delaware juror noted the group "worked together really well."
"I was expecting all of us to be at each other’s throats, you know, because of who his father is and how the political climate is in this country," she said.
CNN spoke to Juror 10 on Tuesday after the verdict, and he confirmed that Joe Biden and the Biden family were not discussed during deliberations. The jury focused on the evidence, not Hunter Biden’s family or lifestyle.