Paul Pelosi Attacker Gets Life in Prison Without Parole

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Oct 30, 2024

Above: David DePape. Image copyright: Michael Short/Contributor/San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Imagesstory last updated Oct 30

The Facts

David DePape was given a life term without the possibility of parole on Tuesday for attacking former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer in their California home on Oct. 28, 2022.
In sentencing DePape, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Harry Dorfman said he intended "that Mr. DePape will never get out of prison." In May, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for federal crimes connected to the break-in.

The Spin

Democratic narrative

Having given in to the allure of right-wing conspiracy theories, it's time DePape is held accountable. This verdict recognizes the seriousness of his crime, gives the Pelosi family some measure of legal justice, and sends a message to those who utilize hatred to intimidate or stifle elected leaders. Political violence will not be normalized, tolerated, minimized, or condoned in the US.

Representative Nancy Pelosi

Republican narrative

It is wrong to suggest the actions of DePape were politically motivated. Addicted to drugs, mentally unstable, and homeless, DePape was clearly not in his right mind, nor had he been for a long time. Any attempts to link his behavior to Donald Trump or his MAGA supporters are wildly inappropriate.

The Western Journal

Narrative C

While the gravity of DePape's actions must not be lessened, Dorfman should have handed down a more lenient sentence. DePape is a mentally vulnerable individual who led a crime-free life before falling into a rabbit hole of conspiracies. Besides, his dual convictions raise questions of double jeopardy — a person can't be prosecuted for the same crime twice.