Paul Pelosi's attacker sentenced to 30 years in prison
Fox News senior correspondent Claudia Cowan has the latest on the emotional sentencing hearing on 'America Reports.'
David DePape, the man convicted of a brutal hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, husband to former House Speaker and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, at the couple's California home, received a sentence of 30 years in prison on Friday.
DePape was sentenced to the maximum 30 years on one count and 20 on a second, which are to be served concurrently. DePape gave no reaction as the judge read his sentence. A victim impact statement was read in court by Christine Pelosi, the couple's daughter.
"Today's sentence reflects David DaPape's lack of remorse and contrition for violently assaulting Mr. Pelosi," U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey said in a statement. "The court's sentence will ensure that DePape will not be able to use violence to pollute the political process."
Rep. Pelosi is in Washington, D.C. and did not attend the sentencing. The Pelosi family released a brief statement after the sentence was handed down.
(Left) Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. (Right) David DePape. (Michael Short/ San Francisco Chronicle )
"The Pelosi family couldn’t be prouder of their Pop and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and in testifying in this case. Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to all who have sent love and prayers over the last eighteen months, as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery," the statement read.
DePape was convicted last year of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Prosecutors had asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley for a 40-year prison term.
In a written victim impact statement, Paul Pelosi said his life has been "irrevocably changed" since the attack.
"My head injuries continue to affect my life. My hair grew back — but I have bumps on my head from the hammer blows and a metal plate from skull surgery," Pelosi wrote. "The dizziness has not gone away."
He revealed that 13 months after the assault, in November 2023, he "felt vertigo and fell twice at home, leading to extensive medical evaluations including MRIs and nerve block injections in my neck."
Pelosi said he still has headaches daily that can become migraines if not addressed, and that he cannot tolerate bright lights or loud noises for extended periods of time. Additionally, the nerves in his left hand were "severely damaged."
PAUL PELOSI ATTACK SUSPECT DAVID DEPAPE FOUND GUILTY IN FEDERAL TRIAL
Screen grab from body cam video following the alleged assault on Paul Pelosi by David De Pape in San Francisco on October 28, 2022. (San Francisco Police Department)
"My forehand was ‘de-gloved’ exposing raw nerves and blood vessels. Surgeries and treatments mostly healed the skin, but underneath I still feel pinched nerves in my left hand. This makes basic tasks like using buttons, cutlery and simple tools more difficult," he said.
Nancy Pelosi, in her victim impact statement, said the attack has devastated three generations of their family and that "shouts of ‘Where’s Nancy?' — echoing the January 6th threats — filled me with great fear and deep pain."
"It is therefore necessary that the guilty party's sentence be very long as a punishment for the attack and the injuries Paul continues to suffer — and as a deterrent to others considering violence against public officials," Nancy Pelosi wrote.
DAVID DEPAPE CONSIDERED NANCY PELOSI ‘EVIL,’ SAVED HER PERSONAL INFO ON LAPTOP, PROSECUTION SAYS
David DePape, left, and Paul Pelosi are seen in an image from bodycam footage. (San Francisco County Superior Court)
The attack on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi was captured on police body camera video just days before the 2022 midterm elections.
DePape admitted during trial testimony that he broke into the Pelosi home on Oct. 28, 2022, intending to hold the then-Speaker hostage and "break her kneecaps" if she lied to him. He also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up at the San Francisco home, saying his plan to end what he viewed as government corruption was unraveling.
Defense attorneys said DePape was motivated by his political beliefs and caught up in conspiracy theories.
Nancy Pelosi was not at home at the time of the October 2022 incident.
A courtroom sketch depicts the trial of David DePape in Federal Court in San Francisco, California on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. (Vicki Behringer)
From custody, DePape called the KTVU newsroom. In the call that was also played out during the trial, he said he had "an important message for everyone in America – you’re welcome."
Prosecutors said a medical examination at the hospital showed Paul Pelosi "suffered two skull fractures that had to be repaired in emergency surgery, along with a wound to his arm and his hand, which were also treated in surgery by specialized surgeons."
DAVID DEPAPE WEEPS ON STAND, APOLOGIZES TO PAUL PELOSI FOR HAMMER ATTACK
At trial, "a neurosurgeon who performed the surgeries testified that one of the skull fractures narrowly missed a vein that if lacerated would have caused life-threatening blood loss," the motion said.
Paul Pelosi also testified at trial, recounting how he was awakened in the middle of the night by a large man bursting into his bedroom and demanding, "Where's Nancy?" Pelosi said that when he told the man his wife was in Washington, DePape said he would tie him up while they waited for her.
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"It was a tremendous sense of shock to recognize that somebody had broken into the house, and looking at him and looking at the hammer and the ties, I recognized that I was in serious danger, so I tried to stay as calm as possible," Pelosi told jurors.
DePape also faces state charges of assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. Jury selection for that trial is scheduled to start May 22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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