Suspect in Paul Pelosi hammer attack appears in court and pleads not guilty to litany of charges

• David DePape, the suspect in the Paul Pelosi attack, pleaded not guilty to charges filed against him.
• The state charges include attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, and elder abuse.

The man accused of bludgeoning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted murder and kidnapping at the San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday.

At his arraignment, suspect David DePape wore a bright orange jumpsuit with his arm in a cast. He pleaded not guilty to state charges filed against him in wake of the incident.

He has been charged with state charges including attempted murder, burglary, elder abuse, assault, and attempted kidnapping of a US official, among other charges. The Justice Department also announced two felony charges against DePape this week; one count of assault of an immediate family member of a US official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a US official on account of the performance of official duties.

If convicted on the attempted kidnapping charge, he could serve up to 20 years in prison and could serve 13 to life if convicted on the state charges.

His public defender has denied all allegations against him.

At the arraignment, Judge Diane Northway also signed a protective order disallowing DePape from coming within 150 yards of Nancy or Paul Pelosi, or contacting them.

Northway also set a Friday hearing for arguments related to DePape's arraignment.

Authorities claim that DePape broke into Pelosi's San Francisco home last week, and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, leaving him with blunt force trauma to his head and body. The House Speaker was in Washington, DC, at the time of the attack.

Paul Pelosi underwent surgery at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital to repair "a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands," Speaker Pelosi's office said in a statement last week.

Yesterday, the San Francisco district attorney said that DePape broke into a glass back door of the residence, found Paul Pelosi sleeping on the second floor and inquired about where his wife was.

CNN reported that DePape yelled "Where's Nancy?" and Paul Pelosi was able to call 911 after asking DePape to let him go to the bathroom, San Francisco's District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said yesterday.

The DA added that when DePape realized the police were called, he brought Paul Pelosi to the first floor and when the police showed up, he "violently struck him [Pelosi] at the top of his head," with a hammer.

Jenkins said that the attack was "politically motivated." DePape also previously espoused conspiratorial views, believing that COVID-19 was a plan hatched by the global elite, following QAnon and pushing 2020 election lies.