A jury on Thursday convicted a Canadian man of federal costs of tried kidnapping and assault in a 2022 assault on the husband of former U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
David DePape broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco residence final yr, in search of to carry her hostage, and attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer.
The jury deliberated for about eight hours earlier than discovering David DePape responsible of tried kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the instant member of the family of a federal official.
DePape, who faces as much as 50 years in jail, didn’t react as the decision was learn.
The assault on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi — which was captured on police physique digital camera video simply days earlier than final yr’s midterm elections — despatched shockwaves by means of the political world.
DePape, 43, admitted throughout trial testimony that he broke into the Pelosis’ residence on Oct. 28, 2022, intending to carry Nancy Pelosi hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him.
He additionally admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after San Francisco law enforcement officials confirmed up on the residence, saying his plan to finish what he seen as authorities corruption was unravelling.
Defence attorneys and prosecutors didn’t instantly touch upon the decision. The U.S. Division of Justice deliberate to carry a information convention later within the day.
A sentencing date has not but been set. A standing listening to is scheduled for Dec. 13.
Defence attorneys argued that DePape was motivated by his political views, not as a result of he wished to intervene with Nancy Pelosi’s official duties as a member of Congress, making the fees towards him invalid.
DePape caught up in conspiracies: lawyer
One in all his attorneys, Angela Chuang, advised jurors throughout closing arguments Wednesday that DePape was caught up in conspiracies.
Throughout her rebuttal, prosecutor Helen Gilbert mentioned the defence had made a false distinction between the California Democrat’s politics and official duties and that DePape did not differentiate between the 2.
DePape, a Canadian citizen who moved to the U.S. greater than 20 years in the past, is also charged in state courtroom with assault with a lethal weapon, elder abuse, residential housebreaking and different felonies. A state trial date will probably be set throughout a Nov. 29 listening to, mentioned Randy Quezada, a spokesperson for the San Francisco District Lawyer’s Workplace.
Throughout his testimony, DePape echoed right-wing conspiracy theories and advised jurors he had deliberate to put on an inflatable unicorn costume and file his interrogation of Nancy Pelosi to add it on-line.
Prosecutors say he had rope and zip ties with him. Detectives additionally discovered physique cameras, a pc and a pill.
DePape testified that his plan was to get Nancy Pelosi to confess that she had been mendacity to the American folks.
“If she lied, I’d break her kneecaps,” he mentioned. “The selection is on her.”
He mentioned he would then transfer to different targets, together with a ladies’s and queer research professor who testified on the trial, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks and President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
