June 22 :
Former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was the victim of a house invasion and hammer attack. when David DePape was found guilty on all charges by a state jury.
Among the five charges that DePape was found guilty of during his stand trial were aggravated kidnapping with a serious injury or death, false imprisonment of an elderly or dependent adult, threatening members of public officials' families, first-degree residential burglary, and attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness from coming forward through force or threats. Court officials have stated that all five counts were unanimously decided by the jury. Deliberations began on Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco with the jury.
It was stated by court officials on Friday afternoon that the verdict had been reached and will be announced shortly after 4 pm (local time). Because Wednesday being the Juneteenth holiday, there was no court. According to CBS News, San Francisco Public Defender Adam Lipson stated in his closing arguments that DePape had been leading a solitary lifestyle and had fallen "down the rabbit hole of propaganda and conspiracy theories" when he broke into Nancy Pelosi's mansion on October 28, 2022. Aaron Bennett, who spoke for the Pelosi family, was speaking on behalf of Nancy Pelosi. He said, "Speaker Pelosi and her family remain in awe of their Pop's bravery, which shone through again on the witness stand in this trial just as it did when he saved his own life on the night of the attack."
Mr. Pelosi has shown tremendous bravery and perseverance each day throughout his recovery, which has taken nearly 20 painful months. The Pelosi family appreciates all the well-wishes and prayers that have been extended to them. Until the sentence process is over, Speaker Pelosi and her family will not make any other substantial comments, he said.
in November 2023, a jury found David DePape guilty of attempting to keep then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi hostage and injuring her husband at their San Francisco mansion. In May of that year, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. Officers went to Paul Pelosi's 911 call and discovered him battling with DePape; Pelosi was subsequently beaten with a hammer, as shown on police bodycam footage.
This shocking event occurred right before the 2022 midterm elections and was blamed on the predicted effects of increasing divisive political rhetoric. It sent shockwaves across the political community. DePape's federal sentencing was reopened in May to allow him to speak following a procedural error during his original sentencing, and the opening remarks in the state trial began the next day.
A judge in the state trial recently granted a defence move to dismiss three charges against DePape: attempted murder, assault of an elder, and assault with a lethal weapon. The public counsel argued that these counts were subject to double jeopardy, and the judge agreed.
