- DePape Gets Life in Prison
- Convicted of Attacking Paul Pelosi
- 30-Year Federal Sentence Concurrent
David DePape, the man who brutally attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on state charges in California.
DePape was convicted of kidnapping, first-degree burglary, and false imprisonment of an elder in the state trial. This sentence will run concurrently with his 30-year federal prison sentence, handed down in May.
The attack, which occurred on October 28, 2022, left Paul Pelosi, now 84, hospitalized for six days with a fractured skull and other injuries. The Pelosi family released a statement after the sentencing, saying, “legal justice has been served”.
“Since the violent break-in and shouts of ‘where’s Nancy?’ two years ago, not a day goes by that we do not think of this devastating assault, its trauma — or the possibility of future attacks,” the family said, hoping the sentence sends a message “that political violence against elected officials or their family members will not be tolerated.”
DePape’s lawyer, Adam Lipson, plans to appeal the ruling, stating, “This was a really tragic end to a tragic story.” Lipson had argued for a more lenient sentence, citing DePape’s mental health issues and isolation, but Judge Harry Dorfman remained unmoved.
“I feel sympathy for the victim in this case, who’s lucky to be alive,” Judge Dorfman said. “It’s my intention that Mr. DePape will never get out of prison, he can never be paroled.”
During the trial, video footage showed DePape breaking into the Pelosi home, armed with a hammer, and confronting Paul Pelosi. DePape admitted to planning to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage and interrogate her on camera.
Paul Pelosi suffered nerve damage and now fears sleeping alone at home, according to a letter read by his daughter, Christine. DePape, meanwhile, spoke about conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 attacks and claimed his lawyers were conspiring against him.
