I’m seeing multiple reports that the jury reached a verdict in Hunter’s firearm trial. Guilty on all three counts.
Frankly, given that the crackhead self-incriminated in his memoir (and in text messages, photos and video on his laptop…) and even his “friendly” witnesses incriminated him, the verdict seemed a given.
His legal team’s choice of defenses seemed odd, too. He didn’t think he was addicted while he made the purchase. And He wasn’t under the influence while he purchased it.
It was pretty clear that he’d done what he was accused of, and that under the Gun Control Act of 1968 those were felonies. What his attorneys should have pushing was that those were not crimes until 1969, and that consistent with the BRUEN decision those laws are unconstitutional because there was no general historical legal tradition from the 18th and early 19th century of making drug users prohibited persons.
Heck, there was no such general, historical legal tradition until well after I was born in the latter half of the <20th century.
Will they appeal on those grounds? We’ll see.
Considering the “Big Guy” is trying to expand background checks by distorting the meaning of “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, challenging GCA ’68 under “Bruen” would be a non-starter.
Of more significance, perhaps to a future DOJ, is that the “Russian disinformation” Laptop has been accepted and vetted as evidence in court. Maybe evidence of bribery and influence peddling when China Joe was a Senator and Veep found therein could be used by a Trump DOJ?
They don’t need to appeal. His daddie is president and he will never see the inside of a jail.
Maybe. Gropin’ Joe claims he won’t pardon him, but is mum on commutation. I think Crackhead would like to avoid a felony conviction for as long as possible. And since other courts have ruled that some of the GCA laws don’t pass BRUEN muster, overturning on appeal has a chance.