Paul Pelosi's attacker apologizes, but judge ratifies 30-year sentence

The man who attacked Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in 2022 apologized for the attack during a federal court hearing held to reconsider his sentencing due to a miscarriage of justice. Despite his apology, he was again sentenced to 30 years in prison, with no changes to the original sentence.

This Tuesday, David DePape was brought back to San Francisco District Court to try to reduce his sentence for the attempted kidnapping of a federal official and the assault of an immediate family member of a federal official. This occurred after Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley reopened the process after acknowledging that she did not allow him to speak during his first sentencing hearing, an error that goes against the law.

During the unusual hearing, the man had the opportunity to defend himself and expressed his regret for the attack against Paul Pelosi. “I feel horribly for hurting Mr. Pelosi. I should have gone home when I found out Nancy Pelosi wasn’t there,” he said.

However, after a brief statement, Judge Corley insisted that the sentence should reflect the seriousness of the crime and serve as a deterrent to others who might consider breaking into the homes of officials and attacking their spouses. For this reason, she issued the same sentence given a little over a week ago.

Corley sentenced DePape to 30 years in prison, taking into account the 19 months he had already served while in custody.

The attack

David DePape broke into Nancy Pelosi’s house with the intention of kidnapping her and subjecting her to interrogation. However, upon entering the property, he only found her husband, Paul Pelosi.

When two officers arrived at the property for a 911 call, DePape hit the congresswoman’s husband several times in the head with a hammer, causing a fractured skull and injuries to his arm and hands.