David DePape, the man who broke into former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and brutally attacked her husband, Paul, with a hammer, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole on state charges in California. This sentencing comes after DePape was convicted on federal charges in May, resulting in a 30-year prison sentence that will now run concurrently.
The attack, which occurred on October 28, 2022, left Paul Pelosi, now 84, hospitalized for six days with severe injuries, including a fractured skull. The Pelosi family has expressed relief that “legal justice has been served” and hopes this sentence sends a strong message against political violence targeting elected officials and their families.
DePape’s defense team had argued for a more lenient sentence, citing mental health issues and isolation that made him susceptible to propaganda. However, Judge Harry Dorfman remained unmoved, stating, “I feel sympathy for the victim in this case, who’s lucky to be alive… It’s my intention that Mr. DePape will never get out of prison, he can never be paroled.”
The incident was captured on police body camera footage, showing DePape breaking into the Pelosi home, armed with a hammer, and demanding to know Nancy Pelosi’s whereabouts. DePape had planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage, interrogate her, and “break her kneecaps” if she didn’t admit to what he claimed were lies.
DePape’s lawyer, Adam Lipson, plans to appeal the ruling, describing it as a “really tragic end to a tragic story”. Despite this, the Pelosi family finds solace in the sentence, knowing that justice has been served.
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