Plea deal on table for Paul Pelosi attacker in state case

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — The man recently convicted on federal charges of breaking into then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and fracturing her husband Paul Pelosi’s skull with a hammer may take a plea deal to avoid trial on state charges.

It has been nearly a year since a San Francisco Superior Court judge greenlit the state’s case and ordered 43-year-old David DePape to stand trial on six state charges including attempted murder. On Wednesday, DePape's attorney said his client is open to a plea deal after being found guilty in the federal trial this month.

Attorneys for both sides agreed to return to court Thursday before San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan to set a date for a settlement conference. DePape's trial is set for Jan. 12.

In the federal case, DePape faced charges of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting the immediate family member of a federal official. The jury heard how DePape broke into the Pelosi home and hit Paul Pelosi three times on the head with a hammer.

State charges against DePape include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary, false imprisonment and threatening the life of or causing serious bodily harm to a public official.

DePape's attorney, public defender Adam Lipson, told reporters outside the courtroom that the goal is to explore avoiding a trial on the state charges.

"He's already been convicted of his federal charges, and he's facing a lengthy federal sentence already," Lipson said. "So anything is possible at this point."

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said last year she views the incident speaks to the “toxic political environment.” On Nov. 16, after the federal jury handed down DePape's conviction, Jenkins said her office will confer with federal prosecutors and Paul Pelosi "as we determine what our next steps in the state case will be." 

DePape already faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the kidnapping charge and up to 30 years in prison for the assault on Paul Pelosi. DePape’s attorneys in the federal trial argued he didn't target Nancy Pelosi specifically, so the kidnapping charges should not stick. Rather, Pelosi was one part of DePape's overarching plan to kidnap politicians like Gavin Newsom, celebrities like Tom Hanks and liberal thinkers, and expose corruption to Americans.

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