(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A state judge on Thursday dismissed several charges against David DePape, the man accused of attacking former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The dismissed charges include attempted murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.
These state charges were brought by the San Francisco District Attorney’s office in addition to DePape’s federal conviction, which landed him 30 years in jail.
Judge Harry Dorfman ruled in favor of DePape’s public defenders, who argued that these charges amounted to double jeopardy, thereby violating his constitutional rights.
The incident in question occurred on Oct. 28, 2022, when DePape broke into the Pelosi residence in San Francisco with the intent to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and break her knees. Instead, he encountered Paul Pelosi and brutally assaulted him with a hammer.
🚨BREAKING: Bodycam footage of Paul Pelosi attack released pic.twitter.com/zwcawl5WGN
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 27, 2023
Despite the partial dismissal, DePape still faces significant charges, including false imprisonment, residential burglary, threatening a family member of a public official, attempting to sway a witness and aggravated kidnapping.
These charges were not covered by the federal case and DePape has pleaded not guilty to them.
Following DePape’s federal sentencing, Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the importance of the federal prosecution claiming that “violence against those who serve the public and their families will not be tolerated.”
He added, “The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who target public servants and their families with violence. In a democracy, people vote, argue, and debate to achieve the policy outcome they desire. But the promise of democracy is that people will not employ violence to affect that outcome.”
