Judge Dismisses Attempted Murder Charge Against Man Who Attacked Paul Pelosi

A judge dismissed an attempted murder charge in a state case against the man who attacked the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with a hammer.

San Francisco Judge Harry M. Dorfman granted a request from the defense lawyers of David DePape to throw out charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse on Thursday, The New York Times reported.

The charges were dismissed after DePape’s lawyers argued that prosecuting him again at the state level amounted to double jeopardy. DePape was convicted in November on federal charges of assault on an immediate family member of a federal official and of attempted kidnapping of a federal official.

In the October 2022 attack, DePape showed up to Pelosi’s home with plans to kidnap her. Instead, he confronted her husband, then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi, who was home alone. DePape struck Paul Pelosi with a hammer during the ensuing assault.

For the federal charges he was convicted of, DePape was sentenced to spend 30 years in federal prison. DePape still faces life in prison as his state trial continues.

Despite other charges being dismissed in the state’s case, DePape is still on the hook for charges including false imprisonment, felony burglary and aggravated kidnapping.

During his federal resentencing hearing last month, DePape apologized for the attack.

“I’m sorry for what I did, especially what I did to Paul Pelosi,” David DePape reportedly told the court in San Francisco. “I should have never hurt him.”