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David DePape sentenced to life in prison for hammer attack on Paul Pelosi (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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State charges included kidnapping, first-degree burglary and false imprisonment of husband of Nancy Pelosi

The man who was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attacking the husband of Nancy Pelosi with a hammer in their California home was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a separate state trial.

A San Francisco jury in June found David DePape guilty of charges including aggravated kidnapping, first-degree burglary and false imprisonment of an elder.

Before issuing the sentence, Judge Harry Dorfman dismissed arguments from DePape’s attorneys that he be granted a new trial for the 2022 attack against Paul Pelosi, who was 82 years old at the time.

“It’s my intention that Mr DePape will never get out of prison, he can never be paroled,” Dorfman said while handing out the punishment.

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[-] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 114 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

“This is a man who has always been a peaceful, law-abiding person up until his activation,” Lipson said.

When given the chance to address the court before his sentencing, DePape, dressed in prison orange and with his brown hair in a ponytail, spoke at length about September 11 being an inside job, his ex-wife being replaced by a body double, and his government-provided attorneys conspiring against him.

“I’m a psychic,” DePape told the court, reading from sheets of paper. “The more I meditate, the more psychic I get.”

And the attorney wants them to reconsider the sentence? Sounds like he needs some serious therapy, and institutionalized, not let out.

[-] billiam0202@lemmy.world 75 points 2 weeks ago

“This is a man who has always been a peaceful, law-abiding person up until his activation,” Lipson said.

Oh fuck all the way off, asshole. His brain was rotted from right-wing media- there was no secret hidden sub-programming which could be turned on with a code word.

Also, fuck you again. Everyone is a peaceful, law-abiding person until they decide to break the law.

[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

Until they're caught breaking the law, anyway.

[-] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

People with certain mental illnesses are far more susceptible to conspiracy theories and other such nonsense. It doesn’t excuse what he did but it’s important to recognize this. Our society is a much more dangerous place for these kinds of vulnerable individuals than it was before mass media, simply because of the huge amount of exposure they have to harmful materials.

[-] flying_sheep@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

I think Europe has been a bad place for them for a long time, because the church has put religious paranoia into their heads any also was petty terrible to them.

The only societies I can think of where they had a place were some indigenous American ones, where there was a role for people who are in connection with the spirit world.

[-] athairmor@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

Did they not try an insanity defense? He must have been declared competent, I guess.

[-] TallonMetroid@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago

My understanding is that insanity defense has a very high bar, beyond what the public would commonly consider "crazy", so it's not actually something that happens often. And even then, actually getting out of whatever institution you're remanded to isn't guaranteed.

[-] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

I dont want to armchair assess too much, but reading a statement that involves your psychic powers, assuming that's real, the guy is not mentally fit.

[-] TallonMetroid@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago

I agree that the man is clearly off his rocker, but from a legal perspective, what matters is whether or not you understand that you have, in fact, killed a dude, and that this is in fact a bad thing. Having voices in your head telling you to do it is a completely separate issue. Again, this is my understanding as a layman, so any actual lawyers please feel free to tell me I'm full of shit.

[-] GladiusB@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Probably if he ever sought help. He was married at one point. Did it come up in the divorce? All these things can be a factor from my understanding.

[-] stoly@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

You have to be completely divorced from reality and really have no idea what you’re doing. This guy is a kook but knew that hitting old people with hammers is bad.

[-] Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

Generally speaking the bar for the insanity defense isn't even insanity. If he were insane but capable of understanding that beating someone with a hammer was wrong he'd fail to meet the bar. You basically have to have no idea at all what you're doing or that it's wrong, and you have the burden of proving it.

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[-] Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 weeks ago

And sometimes that goes the exact opposite way. For example, Lorena Bobbitt was acquitted on an insanity defense and spent less than two months in counseling.

[-] AFC1886VCC@reddthat.com 10 points 2 weeks ago

I wonder if his psychic powers told him he'd be getting a life sentence

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

I honestly think there's a movement that believes if they deny reality at trial that the courts will just let them go because "oops! We can't punish a crazy person!" and then they'll never ever check up on them again.

I'm not claiming they're smart.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah if it isn’t an act he should be not guilty by reason of insanity. He’s having capgras delusions for fucks sake. I do seriously worry about the increased spread of mental illness similar to his through stuff like qanon. We’re at risk of rule by the clinically insane. But yeah if he’s too crazy to know better he’s not guilty and needs institutionalization until such a time that his delusions are gone and he’s safe to return to society (with obvious parole style follow-ups)

[-] zephorah@lemm.ee 38 points 2 weeks ago

Just think, voting for Trump means you’re voting in a pardon for this guy.

[-] athairmor@lemmy.world 36 points 2 weeks ago

Life sentence is from the state charges. President can’t pardon that. But, yeah, he’ll pardon the federal charges if he gets the chance.

[-] samus12345@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

Will he? He said he'd pardon a lot of people when he was still able and never did. He only cares about people with power or fame, not nobodies like this guy.

[-] athairmor@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

I guess it depends on whether he needs to rile his base. The GOP already has them frothing at the name “Pelosi”. He might do it as an intimidation tactic. Hopefully, we never find out because he never gets the chance.

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[-] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 37 points 2 weeks ago

Bye asshole!

[-] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Prison-as-a-mental-healthcare-system should not exist. Of course, that would require leadership that is neither conservative nor neoliberal.

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago

This guy is wack, but he also tried to kill someone. He deserves jail, and needs mental help.

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 4 points 2 weeks ago

Exactly, 2 things can be true at the same time!

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

You mean to tell me... I can believe more than one thing at a time?! /s

[-] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

I prefer the well being of the rest of society to the violently unwell. That is to say I would basically sacrifice the offenders health, happiness and even his life for a 1% increase in the chance that he is never free to harm the rest of society.

[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago

How long before Trump calls him a patriot and a political prisoner?

[-] Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 weeks ago

My mind hadn't even gone here yet, so I wasn't ready, and I was appalled rather than just being quietly furious with certainty that this will happen, probably tomorrow.

[-] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago

He's a conservative hero. The next Republicunt president will pardon him and he will be treated like a star on the conservative talkshow guest circuit.

[-] hperrin@lemmy.world 27 points 2 weeks ago

State charges can’t be pardoned by the president. The governor of California would be the one with that power.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago

Good riddance.

[-] midnight_puker@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 weeks ago

Taste the hammer of justice, scum.

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[-] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago

The justice department have become such pussies that I'm wondering what incorrect thing caused this correct level of sentencing to happen. Did he protest the genocide of Palestinians during his trial?

[-] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

Hammer time!

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this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2024

483 points (99.4% liked)

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