Pelosi Attacker Sentenced to Life Without Parole

[bats]

I think it's right to hold him accountable for his crimes, but what a weird and tragic case. This guy, who clearly suffers from serious mental illness, seemed to have had his behavior fueled in part by the crap that some people wallow in on the Internet. At least that's what his lawyer suggested.

According to sfchronicle.com today:

Just before he was sentenced, DePape read a lengthy statement that began with his theory that 9/11 was an inside job. Railing against America's "evil murder magic rituals," he spoke for more than 45 minutes about his belief that he was a psychic and that his ex-wife was a "body double," and ignored multiple suggestions by the judge to keep his statements relevant to the trial or the crimes he had committed.

[HighStepper]

DePape faced five counts in the state trial, including aggravated kidnapping resulting in bodily harm or death, false imprisonment of an elder or dependent adult, threatening family of public officials, first degree residential burglary and preventing or dissuading a witness by force or threat.   

[Romanticlover]

He's a Canadian citizen living in the US illegally, he was a homeless drug user with mental problems.

https://www.kqed.org/news/12011527/pelosi-attacker-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-spouts-conspiracy-theories-in-court

He was already sentenced to 30 years by a Federal judge, I'm surprised a SF judge gave him such a harsh sentence.

[bats]

He was already sentenced to 30 years by a Federal judge, I'm surprised a SF judge gave him such a harsh sentence.

I suppose each jurisdiction sees their duties as independent of the other. If he were somehow successful in appealing the federal court sentence the state sentence would be there as a backstop. 

[Zep]

Political crimes deserve the fullest possible penalties. Ever since tRump made it "ok" to do whatever it takes to stay in power, It will take severe penalties to catch the attention of the low life followers who think it's cool to break laws....   

Fuck em, let them all rot in jail.    (jmho)

[Blkfyre]

He's a Canadian citizen living in the US illegally, he was a homeless drug user with mental problems.

https://www.kqed.org/news/12011527/pelosi-attacker-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-spouts-conspiracy-theories-in-court

He was already sentenced to 30 years by a Federal judge, I'm surprised a SF judge gave him such a harsh sentence.

A crime is a crime and you should be sentenced appropriately for that crime.

Not that most Trump fans subscribe to that way of thinking of course...

[Romanticlover]

A crime is a crime and you should be sentenced appropriately for that crime.

Not that most Trump fans subscribe to that way of thinking of course...

I'm not condoning what he did, he is a nutjob and deserves to be in prison.

I just thought it was odd he got a life sentence, I will bet it gets reduced or gets overturned due to double jeopardy.

[Blkfyre]

I'm not condoning what he did, he is a nutjob and deserves to be in prison.

I just thought it was odd he got a life sentence, I will bet it gets reduced or gets overturned due to double jeopardy.

https://www.kqed.org/news/12011527/pelosi-attacker-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-spouts-conspiracy-theories-in-court

"Judge Harry Dorfman ordered that DePape, 44, serve his sentence concurrently with the 30-year sentence a federal judge handed him in May."

https://www.kqed.org/news/11987892/paul-pelosis-attacker-apologizes-at-resentencing-but-prison-term-is-unchanged

"Instead, a San Francisco Superior Court judge heard this morning from DePape's local public defenders, who argue that California-specific protections against double jeopardy require several charges be dismissed following his federal conviction. The judge declined to rule on the motion, saying he'll wait for local prosecutors to present their case."

So, now that the State charges are taken care of the Federal judge will go back and see if there are any changes that need to be dismissed, thus it will not be overturned.

[bats]

https://www.kqed.org/news/12011527/pelosi-attacker-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-spouts-conspiracy-theories-in-court

"Judge Harry Dorfman ordered that DePape, 44, serve his sentence concurrently with the 30-year sentence a federal judge handed him in May."

https://www.kqed.org/news/11987892/paul-pelosis-attacker-apologizes-at-resentencing-but-prison-term-is-unchanged

"Instead, a San Francisco Superior Court judge heard this morning from DePape's local public defenders, who argue that California-specific protections against double jeopardy require several charges be dismissed following his federal conviction. The judge declined to rule on the motion, saying he'll wait for local prosecutors to present their case."

So, now that the State charges are taken care of the Federal judge will go back and see if there are any changes that need to be dismissed, thus it will not be overturned.

I think you're conflating what was said in the May article with the reporting from yesterday. The state judge said in May that he'd wait for local prosecutors to present their case. That has now happened, and the state judge ruled against the defense. However, either or both sentences could still be overturned on appeal, at least in theory.

[Romanticlover]

Yeah you can't be tried twice for the same crime, it will most likely be overturned. The state should of tried him first.

[bats]

Yeah you can't be tried twice for the same crime, it will most likely be overturned. The state should of tried him first.

A while back, the state judge dismissed several of the state charges on double jeopardy grounds. The remaining state charges went forward because the judge didn't believe they subjected DePape to double jeopardy.

[Hobby]

This will cost taxpayers over 100,000 per year to keep him away from society.

[Hobby]

There needs to be a rehab facility some where hundreds of miles away from people. A place where if they escape have no place to go.  There they will work, learn a trade and dry out.  No TV no recreational activities.  Have them so tired all they want to do is rest after a long day of work...

[Blkfyre]

I think you're conflating what was said in the May article with the reporting from yesterday. The state judge said in May that he'd wait for local prosecutors to present their case. That has now happened, and the state judge ruled against the defense. However, either or both sentences could still be overturned on appeal, at least in theory.

That's why I put in the quote because the lawyers had already brought up about that so the judge said he was going to wait on the federal charges, and if they were things that superseded the federal charges that the state applied, he would be considering removing those extra charges

[bats]

That's why I put in the quote because the lawyers had already brought up about that so the judge said he was going to wait on the federal charges, and if they were things that superseded the federal charges that the state applied, he would be considering removing those extra charges

In May, before the state trial began, DePape's lawyers argued in state court that with the convictions on federal charges now on the books, several of the state charges should be dismissed.

At that time, the state judge declined to rule on the defense's argument, effectively saying that a ruling on that motion before he'd heard what the state prosecutors had to say would be putting the cart before the horse.

The state judge did eventually dismiss several state charges because of the federal convictions, but that didn't cause the defendant to lose his appeal rights in either case.