On Thursday, David DePape was found guilty by a jury of federal crimes related to the intrusion into Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco residence, where he assaulted her husband with a hammer last year. This incident, occurring just before the 2022 midterm elections, heightened concerns about potential political violence.
After a four-day trial, the jury deliberated for approximately eight hours before reaching a verdict. DePape’s legal defense did not dispute the evidence, which included police body camera footage capturing the attack on Paul Pelosi, as well as DePape’s own admissions to law enforcement and testimony during the trial.
At 43 years old, DePape now faces the possibility of a life sentence. The defense contended that the assault on the 83-year-old Pelosi, carried out with the intention of kidnapping his wife, who was then the Speaker of the House and second in line to the presidency, did not meet the criteria for federal crimes.
According to the defense, DePape’s actions were not motivated by Pelosi’s official congressional duties, a crucial element in the charges against him. Instead, they argued that he was part of a broader conspiracy driven by online theories, aiming to dismantle what he perceived as a cabal of liberal elites posing a threat to American liberty.
