David DePape Found Guilty in Paul Pelosi Hammer Attack

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Facts

  • San Francisco jurors convicted 43-year-old David DePape of federal crimes for breaking into the home of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and attacking her husband, Paul, with a hammer in October 2022. Their verdict came after deliberating for roughly eight hours on Thursday.1
  • After a week-long trial, he received a guilty verdict for the charge of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on close relatives of a federal official in retaliation for the performance of their duties. DePape offered an apology to Pelosi on Tuesday, adding that he was never his target.2
  • Attorneys for DePape had argued that he never intended to kidnap anyone and that his actions aimed at reaching his true target, University of Michigan professor Gayle Rubin, whose work focuses on feminist theory and queer studies.3
  • The Canadian citizen who has lived in the US for two decades now faces up to 50 years in prison — 20 years for the attempted abduction charge and another 30 years for assaulting Paul Pelosi, which resulted in a fractured skull and injuries to his arm and hand.4
  • While a sentencing date hasn't been set yet, a status conference is scheduled for Dec. 13 in US District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley's courtroom.5
  • Meanwhile, he still faces several state charges related to the incident, including attempted murder — which carries the possibility of life imprisonment — as well as assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary, false imprisonment, and threats to a public official and their family. The next hearing in the state case is scheduled for Nov. 29, where a judge is expected to set a trial date.6

Sources: 1The New York Times, 2New York Post, 3National Review, 4BBC News, 5Courthouse News Service and 6Washington Examiner.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC. This attack was a predictable and tragic product of the dangerous rhetoric and toxic conspiracy theories spewing from the far-right. Their message of 'survivalism' makes it sound as though defeating those on the other side of the political spectrum is a life-or-death matter. The right-lurching GOP must be held accountable for its extremism and the violence it inspires.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by The San Francisco Standard. It's quite amazing to watch liberal San Francisco switch to a tough-on-crime stance when one of their own gets attacked. After endless news coverage of this incident calling DePape an unhinged far-right attacker, 55% of prospective jurors surveyed ahead of the trial said they already believed he was guilty. While DePape should be held accountable for his inexcusable actions, It's no surprise he didn't receive the prosecutorial leniency so often promoted by these progressives.

Predictions