A federal judge sentenced David DePape to 30 years in prison on Friday, more than 18 months after he attacked then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in the couple’s San Francisco home.
The three-decade sentence was handed down by U.S. district judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who ordered DePape to serve 20 years for a kidnapping charge and 30 years for an assault charge. Both sentences will run simultaneously. DePape, who was convicted in November, has already served the first year and a half since he’s been in police custody.
During his federal trial last fall, DePape admitted to breaking into the Pelosi family’s home on October 28, 2022, and apologized for hitting Paul Pelosi with a hammer. He said he intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and hold her hostage. But after discovering the House speaker was in Washington, D.C., on business, he planned on waiting for her to return before Paul Pelosi called the police.
Recorded on police body camera footage, the brutal hammer attack occurred less than two weeks before the 2022 midterm elections and highlighted a surge of threats to federal lawmakers.
Hours before Friday’s sentencing, Nancy Pelosi personally requested the court to hand down a “very long” sentence for her husband’s attacker. Federal prosecutors were seeking a 40-year prison sentence.
Paul Pelosi also sent a letter to the court, revealing how his health has been in decline since the attack left him with a fractured skull. He was 82 at the time.
“I walk slowly and have difficulty with my balance. Nearly every day I get headaches that become migraines unless quickly addressed,” the 84-year-old wrote. “I need to sleep during the day and cannot tolerate bright lights or loud noises for extended periods of time.”
“For months, sleeping alone in my home was very difficult because I kept remembering the defendant breaking into my house,” he said. “The defendant severely damaged the nerves in my left hand. 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.”
DePape also faces state charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, and residential burglary, among other felonies. Jury selection in the state trial is expected to start Wednesday.
“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,” a Pelosi spokesperson said in a Friday statement. “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.”
“Given the ongoing state court proceedings, Speaker Pelosi and the Pelosi family will not be offering further comment on this matter at this time.”