Prosecutors have announced that David DePape has been found guilty on all charges in the California trial for the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi. This comes after DePape’s federal conviction for the assault in 2022.
After starting deliberations on Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco, the jury took a break on Wednesday with the court being dark. However, they were able to come to a verdict on Friday afternoon.
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The charges against DePape, who is 44 years old, include false imprisonment of an elder through violence or intimidation, residential burglary, threatening a family member of a public official, dissuading a witness through force or threat, and aggravated kidnapping, which is punishable by life imprisonment without parole.
A date for the sentencing has yet to be scheduled.
According to Brooke Jenkins, the District Attorney of San Francisco, DePape’s conviction guarantees that he will be held accountable for his despicable acts against the Pelosi family and our democracy.
In a statement released on Friday, Jenkins expressed his gratitude towards all the law enforcement agencies who worked together with them to ensure that justice was served. He also extended his thanks to the family for their remarkable courage and resilience throughout the entire ordeal. Jenkins further added that he hopes this verdict will provide them with some sense of closure as they continue to heal from this tragic incident.
Adam Lipson, DePape’s public defender, expressed disappointment with the verdict.
During a press conference, Lipson expressed his disbelief that his client was charged with kidnapping for ransom. He further mentioned that his client had led a secluded life and had become entangled in various conspiracy theories, which led to this unfortunate situation.
During the three-week state trial, DePape chose not to testify despite pleading not guilty to the charges.
According to the AP, three charges including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse were dismissed by the judge during the trial. The defense argued that these charges fell under double jeopardy after the defendant was convicted in the federal trial related to the attack against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.
According to the AP, DePape’s public defender had contended that the evidence was insufficient to prove his guilt of threatening a family member of a public official and aggravated kidnapping.
During his closing argument, Lipson informed the jury that there are no disputes regarding the facts of the case. However, there is a significant disagreement as to which charges apply and which do not, as per the AP.
During her closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Phoebe Maffei emphasized to the jurors that the facts of the case are alarming on their own, without any exaggeration, according to the AP.
According to a report by KGO, Paul Pelosi testified during the state trial that DePape had approached him on the night of the attack and asked if he was Paul Pelosi. DePape was holding a hammer and zip ties at the time.
KGO reported that Paul Pelosi said that the individual appeared extremely focused on his intentions.
According to KGO, Paul Pelosi has revealed that he suffered two falls since the attack and prefers not to discuss the impact it had on his mental health.
In May, DePape was found guilty in a federal case for attempting to hold former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hostage and assaulting her husband with a hammer. This verdict in the state trial follows that sentencing.
On May 17th, DePape was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison by a judge. However, the sentencing was reopened after prosecutors pointed out that DePape was not given a chance to address the court formally during his initial sentencing. Two weeks later, he was resentenced to 30 years in prison after apologizing for the attack during a hearing.
During the resentencing hearing, he expressed remorse for his actions, specifically towards Paul Pelosi, as reported by KGO. He acknowledged that he should have left the house when he realized Nancy Pelosi was not present. He apologized for his behavior.
After his initial sentencing in the federal case, DePape’s attorneys filed a brief notice of appeal.
In November 2023, a federal jury convicted DePape of attempting to kidnap a federal officer or employee, as well as assaulting an immediate family member of a federal official.
In the federal trial, DePape confessed that his intention was to locate Nancy Pelosi and interrogate her regarding the Russian involvement in the 2016 election. He also admitted to planning to hold her as hostage. However, he was only able to break into their San Francisco residence on October 28, 2022, when Paul Pelosi was present.
During the federal trial, Paul Pelosi testified that DePape persistently inquired about Nancy’s whereabouts by asking him, “Where is Nancy?”
During the federal trial, DePape expressed regret for the harm caused to the individual. “I’m sorry that he got hurt,” he stated. DePape went on to explain that his reaction was a result of his plan being disrupted.
Officers who responded to the scene captured the incident on police body camera video.
After the attack, Paul Pelosi had to be hospitalized for six days and had to undergo surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands.
