Avril Elfi from OAN
Saturday, June 22, 2024, 12:00 PM
David DePape, the suspect who attacked former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in 2022, was convicted of five counts.
advertisement
A California judge on Friday found DePape guilty of first-degree theft, false imprisonment, endangering a family member of a public servant, kidnapping and tampering with or obstructing a witness by use of violence or intimidation.
The second sentence comes after he was already facing 30 years in prison if convicted in 2023 for the attack.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said at a press conference that DePape faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Three of the charges Mr. DePape faced – attempted murder, assault on an elderly person and assault with a deadly weapon – were dropped by Judge Harry M. Dorfman before trial after his lawyers argued that doing so would put Mr. DePape in double jeopardy.
DePape was convicted in federal court in November of assaulting a relative of a federal employee and attempting to kidnap a federal employee in connection with that attack.
Defense attorney Adam Lipson said DePape was not satisfied with the jury’s decision after the jury deliberated for nearly 12 hours over three days.
“He’s been caught up in conspiracy theories and has lived a very isolated and lonely life,” Lipson said. “And, you know, he has a mental illness that he’s currently struggling with.”
“It’s really unfortunate that he’s been charged in the way that he has. It’s a classic vindictive prosecution,” Lipson said.
Jenkins later said her office found the suspects guilty, and the jury agreed, “as evidenced by the jury verdict.”
“So there’s absolutely no need for any accusations of retaliatory prosecution,” Jenkins told reporters. “We’re just trying to do our job and make sure he’s held accountable for any criminal conduct that occurred that night.”
The 42-year-old man broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco home in October 2022 and attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer when police arrived.
“Where’s Nancy?” DePape confronted Pelosi before the 83-year-old called 911.
Body camera footage from responding officers shows a confused DePape opening the door with a hammer and bringing it over Paul Pelosi’s head, knocking him to the ground.
The former speaker’s husband was later hospitalized and underwent surgery to repair a fractured skull and other injuries sustained in the attack.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Stay up to date! Receive the latest news directly in your email for free. Sign up here: https://www.oann.com/alerts
Please share this post!
