The man suspected of assaulting the husband of Democratic congressional leader Nancy Pelosi has pleaded not guilty but was remanded in custody without bail by a San Francisco court, media reported.
Adam Lipson, a public defender appointed to represent David DePape, entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the suspect, who appeared briefly in court in his first public appearance since the attack.
Dressed in an orange prison uniform, Adam DePape spoke only to tell the judge, Diane Northway, how to pronounce his last name. The defendant returns to court on Friday.
At the time of the attack, the suspect said he would “break the congresswoman’s kneecaps” if she didn’t confess “lies” on the Democratic side, according to a federal court document.
The suspect allegedly broke into the couple’s home in San Francisco on Friday morning with a rope, a pair of gloves and duct tape, according to the Justice Department.
Nancy Pelosi was in Washington that day. Before being attacked with a hammer, her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82, had time to call the 911 emergency number.
Authorities believe the suspect intended to kidnap the Democratic leader, which could land him in prison for up to 20 years.
For assaulting her husband, she can incur a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
On Monday night, the San Francisco District Attorney announced a series of new charges, including attempted murder and robbery, this time on local rather than federal charges.
According to the prosecutor, the attack was politically motivated.
Source: TSF
