Man who attacked husband of former US House Speaker found guilty on all state charges – JURIST

A jury in San Francisco found David DePape guilty on Friday on all counts related to his attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The charges against him included first-degree burglary, false imprisonment of an elderly person, threatening a family member of a public official and deterring a witness by force or threat. The jury also found that DePape caused great bodily harm and used a deadly weapon when he broke into the Pelosi residence in October 2022 and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. DePape had planned to question the former speaker on camera, but she was not home at the time.

Opening arguments in the state case began in late May, one day after DePape’s trial resumed in federal court following a procedural error that prevented him from speaking at the original sentencing hearing.

During the trial, DePape’s attorney successfully argued for the dismissal of several state charges similar to those DePape was convicted of in federal court. Subsequently, Judge Harry Dorfman of San Francisco County Superior Court dismissed the charges of attempted murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon, citing the state’s double jeopardy law, which prevents defendants from being tried more than once for the same crime.

DePape’s attorney responded to Friday’s ruling, criticizing the decision to charge DePape with kidnapping for ransom, pointing out that the decision was made only after the attempted murder charge was dropped under California’s double jeopardy laws. They had challenged that as a vindictive charge in a motion that the court denied on the grounds that the trial had not yet begun. Aggravated kidnapping is punishable by life in prison without parole in California.

DePape was sentenced last month to 30 years in prison on a federal indictment. Friday’s ruling means that after completing his 30-year term in federal prison, he will be transferred to California to serve a life sentence in state prison. DePape is currently incarcerated, and his state sentence has not yet been determined.