Judge Apologizes to Paul Pelosi Attacker, 'Truly Sorry' After Crucial Sentencing Error
David DePape, who assaulted Paul Pelosi with a hammer in 2022, was initially apologized to by the judge before being sentenced to 30 years in prison.
According to Fox News, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley recalled DePape to court because he was not given the opportunity to speak during his initial sentencing on May 17.
“I’m truly sorry for my mistake,” Corley expressed to DePape.
In a prior filing, she acknowledged it was a “clear error” on her part not to permit DePape to speak, which is a legal requirement.
DePape had been convicted the previous year for the attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official following his attack on Paul Pelosi, the spouse of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I feel horribly for hurting Mr. Pelosi,” DePape stated in court.
“I should have gone home when I found out Nancy Pelosi wasn’t there,” he said, referring to the night he broke into the Pelosi residence in October 2022.
“Looking back, I can see I was not doing well,” he added.
He mentioned a call he made to a local TV station after his arrest was a “stupid immature call,” as reported by CBS.
DePape was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison, mirroring his original sentence.
U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey had previously remarked that the sentence “reflects David DePape’s lack of remorse and contrition for violently assaulting Mr. Pelosi,” according to Fox News.
BREAKING: David DePape has been sentenced (again) to 30 years for the assault of Paul Pelosi/attempted kidnapping of Nancy Pelosi. A judge re-opened sentencing after failing to ask for a statement weeks ago. This time he apologized: "I should have left when Nancy wasn’t there."
— Steve Patterson (@PattersonNBC) May 28, 2024
In court, Judge Corley apologized for her earlier mistake and reaffirmed her rationale for the sentence.
“I want to apologize for you having to be here this morning,” she said, as per the Los Angeles Times. “It’s completely on me.”
She described the incident as “unprecedented” and emphasized the need to deter “copycats.”
She stressed the importance of sending a clear message that “you cannot go and break into the speaker of the house’s home and hold her spouse hostage and then assault him. Or any politician for that matter.”
“The message has to be out there that it is absolutely unacceptable to our democracy,” she concluded.