The suspect in the alleged break-in and hammer attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was held without bail on Tuesday after entering a not guilty plea to several charges at his appearance in a California courtroom.
To state charges of attempted murder, domestic burglary, elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment of an age, and threats to a family member of a public official, David DePape, 42, of Richmond, California, entered a not guilty plea.
Additionally, he is accused by the federal government of attempting to kidnap Mrs. Pelosi and assaulting a public official’s family member. Due to the fact that an arraignment marks the beginning of the legal process and comes before any plea bargaining or pre-trial motions, it is not rare for a defendant to enter a not guilty plea.
Prior to his arraignment on Tuesday, Mr. DePape was moved from the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital to the county jail. Adam Lipson, his public lawyer, claimed that Mr. DePape had dislocated his shoulder while being arrested.
Mr. Lipson told reporters, “We have very little knowledge about this matter at this point. I saw Mr. DePape for the first time late Monday. I won’t add to the speculation, she said.
The incident early on Friday sparked a national conversation about political violence and ways to stop it. Conspiracy theories and rants against Jews, Blacks, Democrats, the media, and transgender individuals were all over Mr. DePape’s online comments.
The public discussion regarding Mr. DePape’s vulnerability to online misinformation was brought up by Mr. Lipson. “That’s certainly something we’re going to look into, that we’re going to go into as his defense team,” he said.
Charges presented by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins led to Mr. DePape’s arraignment.
On Friday, when he has another hearing, the topic of bail might come up again. However, he is under a federal hold and might be detained once more if he were to be freed on state charges.
A federal lawsuit claims that Mr. DePape entered the couple’s San Francisco home at roughly two in the morning on Friday and discovered Mr. Pelosi, 82, in the bedroom.
Mr. Pelosi responded that Mrs. Pelosi wasn’t in town and wouldn’t return for many days when the attacker demanded to know where she was.
Even though Mr. Pelosi was able to excuse himself to use the restroom and dial 911, Mr. DePape insisted he would wait. When the police arrived, they discovered the two arguing over a hammer. Before police put Mr. DePape into custody, he wrested it away and struck Mr. Pelosi in the head.
Police discovered Mr. DePape in possession of a journal, a roll of tape, a white rope, a second hammer, a pair of rubber gloves, and zip ties.
According to Mr. Pelosi, he had never before seen Mr. DePape. According to Mr. DePape, he wanted to take Mrs. Pelosi hostage and promised to release her if she stated the “truth”; however, if she “lied,” he threatened to “crush her kneecaps.”
“During the conversation, DePape made it clear that Nancy was the head of the Democratic Party’s fabrications.
DePape later added that by shattering Nancy’s kneecaps, she would need to be wheeled into Congress, which would demonstrate to other lawmakers that acts had repercussions, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Mr. DePape said that he used a hammer to break through a glass door to enter the home.
The reason Mr. DePape stayed after Ms. Pelosi dialed 911, according to Mr. DePape, “was that, like the American founding fathers with the British, he was battling against tyranny without the choice of surrender.”
A fractured skull necessitated surgery for Mr. Pelosi. Late on Monday, the speaker reported her husband was improving.
“Since Paul was brutally attacked early on Friday, we have received tens of thousands of messages of worry, prayers, and well wishes. We are really appreciative, said California Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Paul is making steady progress on what will be a protracted rehabilitation journey, thanks to the great trauma care medical staff at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Our family appreciates everyone’s generosity.
The attempt on Ms. Pelosi, according to the Capitol Police, has highlighted the need for stronger protection for national leaders.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger stated, “We believe the current political environment calls for increased resources to offer additional levels of physical security for members of Congress.” “This strategy would place a focus on strengthening the existing safeguards for congressional leadership by introducing redundancies. I hope you can appreciate that we are unable to discuss the specifics of these upgrades since our nation cannot afford to facilitate any potential criminal activity.
