Federal Judge Terminates Hunter Biden’s Gun Trial Following President’s Pardon
Judge Maryellen Noreika, presiding judge in Hunter Biden’s trial in Delaware, has terminated further court proceedings in the case, effective immediately, following President Biden’s sweeping pardon that shields his son from prosecution. The pardon, signed by President Biden, covers all offenses committed or potentially committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
A Delaware jury found Hunter Biden guilty on all three federal felony firearm charges this summer, with a sentencing date of December 12 scheduled before the pardon was announced. In response, President Biden criticized the investigation and prosecution, saying it was “infected” by politics and led to a “miscarriage of justice.”
The pardon also covers Hunter’s tax evasion charges in California, but the judge in that case, Mark Scarsi, has yet to announce whether he will terminate or dismiss the proceedings against Hunter.
The decision to pardon Hunter Biden has been met with criticism, with some arguing it breaks with President Biden’s longtime promises not to pardon his son and raises concerns about the Justice Department’s independence. Despite this, Hunter Biden’s legal team had requested that the case be dismissed outright, which the judge did not grant.
