The man convicted in 2022 of attacking the husband of House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday after his state trial.
DePape’s early morning burglary of the Pelosi house Almost exactly two years ago, on October 28, 2022 – just days before the 2022 midterm elections – shock waves rippled through the United States, attributed to the predictable effects of increasingly demonizing political rhetoric.
The attack on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi was captured on police bodycam video after officers responded to his 911 call and found him struggling with DePape, who then knocked Pelosi down with a hammer.
Opening Statements in the state trial began in late Maya day later DePape’s federal conviction was reopened to let him speak following a procedural error during his original sentencing.
Last June, a jury convicted David DePape on state charges for his home invasion of Paul Pelosi at the San Francisco home he shares with the former speaker.
DePape faced five charges in the state trial, including aggravated kidnapping resulting in bodily harm or death, false imprisonment of an elderly or dependent adult, threatening family of government officials, first-degree residential burglary and preventing or deterring a witness with violence or threats.
Before issuing the sentence, Judge Harry Dorfman rejected arguments from DePape’s lawyers that he should get a new trial, saying his intention was “for Mr. DePape to never get out of prison.”
When given the opportunity to address the court prior to his sentencing, DePape read from a lengthy statement that delved deeply into several government conspiracy theories. DePape claimed that “911 was an inside job” in addition to being psychic, and said he believes his ex-partner was replaced by a body double.
Christine Pelosi read a statement from her father Paul Pelosi. The letter began by saying, “the last peaceful sleep I had was on October 28, 2022,” before detailing the physical and psychological effects of the attack.
The life sentence on state charges is on top of that the 30-year prison sentence DePape received for his federal conviction.
Both the prosecution and defense said the life sentence without parole on the state charge would be served concurrently with DePape’s federal sentence, but it has still not been determined where DePape will serve the sentence.
