David DePape was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the hammer attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband

The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday morning to 30 years in prison.

David DePape, 44, was sentenced to 30 years in prison by Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in a federal courtroom in San Francisco. The public prosecutor had demanded a prison sentence of 40 years. Wearing an orange jumpsuit, DePape stood silently as the verdict was announced.

DePape’s defense argued for a shorter sentence of 14 years, pointing out that their client had no prior criminal record and that he had expressed remorse. The judge countered that DePape remained dangerous given his statements that he would attack his other targets, even though he apologized to his victims.

Scott Corley also said DePape’s actions posed an unprecedented threat and forced all officers to weigh the risk their jobs could pose to family members.

“We will never know what we lost because of this crime,” she said.

DePape was given credit for time served during his 18-month sentence. The judge imposed the maximum sentence on each count he faced – 20 years for one count, 30 years for the second count – to run concurrently.

DePape was tried late last year on charges of attempted kidnapping of a federal officer and assault on an immediate family member of a federal officer. Jurors convicted him in both cases on November 16, 2023.

DePapes Early morning break-in at the Pelosi House in October 2022 resulted in federal and state charges. A second trial in state court will begin in the next few weeks.

In a letter to the court, Nancy Pelosi asked the judge to give DePape a “very long” sentencethe attack “filled me with great fear and deep pain.” Meanwhile, Paul Pelosi Victim’s statement to the judge noted that he still suffers from dizziness, headaches, balance problems, nerve pain and difficulty walking due to the health effects of the vicious attack.

Christine Pelosi read victim impact statements on behalf of her parents. Her tone was authoritative and purposeful and brought color to the statements.

While DePape admitted that he gave tearful testimony in his federal trial that he broke into the Pelosi home in San Francisco on October 28, 2022, intending to take the speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him. He also admitted to beating Paul Pelosi to death with a hammer after police showed up and said his plan to end what he saw as government corruption had faltered.

The attack on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi was captured on video by a police body camera just days before the midterm elections and sent shockwaves throughout the political world.

Defense attorneys argued that DePape was motivated by his political beliefs and not because he wanted to interfere with the speaker’s official duties as a member of Congress, making the charges against him moot.

One of his lawyers, Angela Chuang, said during closing arguments that DePape was steeped in conspiracy theories.

During the trial, DePape, a Canadian who moved to the United States more than 20 years ago, testified that he believed news outlets repeatedly lied about former President Donald Trump. In rants posted on a blog and online forum that were removed after his arrest, DePape described one far-fetched plan to single-handedly “take down” a number of high-profile figures.. The plan reflected the baseless, right-wing conspiracy theory of QAnon, which claims that a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles runs the U.S. government.

DePape also told jurors that he planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume and record his interrogation of the Democratic speaker, who was not home at the time of the attack, to upload online.

Prosecutors said he had ropes and zip ties on him, and investigators found body cameras, a computer and a tablet.

Paul Pelosi also testified at the trialHe recalled being woken up by a large man bursting into the bedroom and asking, “Where’s Nancy?” He said when he replied that his wife was in Washington, DePape said he would tie him up while they were waiting for her.

“It was a huge shock when I realized someone had broken into the house and when I looked at him and looked at the hammer and cable ties I realized I was in serious danger so I tried to be as calm as possible possible to remain.” Pelosi told the jury.

Pelosi suffered two head wounds in the attack, including a fractured skull that was repaired with plates and screws that he will wear for the rest of his life. His right arm and hand were also injured.

DePape also faces charges in state court of assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other crimes. Jury selection for this trial is expected to begin May 22.