Hunter Biden found guilty on all counts in gun case

US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun, making him the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime.

A 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware - the Bidens' hometown - found the defendant guilty on all three counts against him.

Hunter Biden, 54, lightly nodded his head after the verdict was read but otherwise showed little reaction. He then patted his lawyer Abbe Lowell on the back and hugged another member of his legal team.

Lowell said in a statement they would "vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter." Biden still faces a separate tax case in California.

The trial took place against the background of a November 5 election pitting Democrat Joe Biden against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who was himself found guilty at a landmark New York state trial last month.

After about three hours of deliberation, the jurors found Hunter Biden falsely claimed to be free of illegal drugs when he filled out a government screening document for a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018 and then illegally possessed the weapon.

In a statement Hunter said he was more grateful for the love and support he had received than he was disappointed by the guilty verdict. He said he was "blessed" to experience the gift of recovery "one day at a time."

US District Judge Maryellen Noreika set no date for sentencing, but added it would usually be within 120 days. That would place it no later than about a month before the US presidential election.

President Joe Biden issued a statement saying he accepted the outcome of the case and would respect the judicial process as his son considers an appeal.

Some 61 per cent of registered voters responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in February said Hunter Biden's legal troubles would have no impact on whether they voted for his father in November.

The poll showed voters divided over whether Hunter's legal troubles were related to his father's service as president.

Sentencing guidelines for the gun charges are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases often get shorter sentences and are less likely to be incarcerated if they abide by the terms of their pretrial release.