In a surprising turn of events, a federal judge has decided to reopen the sentencing hearing for David DePape, the man responsible for breaking into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and assaulting her husband with a hammer. This decision comes after the judge failed to allow DePape to make a statement during his initial court appearance last week.

District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley had sentenced DePape to 20 years for attempted kidnapping of Nancy Pelosi and an additional 30 years for the assault on Paul Pelosi, the maximum punishment for both charges. The sentences were intended to run concurrently, and DePape had been given credit for the 18 months he spent in custody.

However, upon reflection, Judge Corley admitted that it was a "clear error" on her part for not providing DePape the opportunity to speak before sentencing, as required by law. A further hearing has been scheduled for May 28 to rectify this oversight.

Interestingly, neither the prosecution nor DePape's defense attorneys raised the issue during the initial hearing. Nevertheless, Judge Corley acknowledged that it was her responsibility to personally ask DePape if he wanted to make a statement.

Prosecutors promptly filed a motion to reopen the sentencing hearing, pointing out that the court had failed to provide DePape the chance "to speak or present any information to mitigate the sentence." According to federal rules, the court has 14 days to correct any sentence resulting from an error. Surprisingly, DePape's defense attorneys opposed bringing their client back to court, as stated in the prosecutor's filing.

Following Friday's sentencing, DePape's defense team appealed the verdict. Judge Corley gave them until Wednesday to respond to her order to reopen the sentencing hearing. DePape, who is 44 years old, was found guilty in November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on a family member of a federal official. Prosecutors had initially sought a 40-year prison term.

The attack on Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's husband, took place just days before the 2022 midterm elections and shocked the political world. The assault, which was captured on police body camera footage, resulted in Paul Pelosi suffering two head wounds, including a skull fracture that required plates and screws for his recovery. His right arm and hand were also injured.

During the initial proceedings, one of DePape's attorneys made a comparison to the sentences given to individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. However, Judge Corley dismissed the analogy, emphasizing the gravity of breaking into an elected official's private home. She expressed concerns that such an incident could have a chilling effect on future political candidates and reiterated her belief that DePape poses a danger to society.

DePape admitted during the trial that he broke into the Pelosis' home with the intention of holding Nancy Pelosi hostage and forcing her to admit to corruption. Nancy Pelosi was not present at the time of the incident. Additionally, DePape confessed to assaulting Paul Pelosi with a hammer when the police arrived, as he felt his plan to expose what he believed to be government corruption was unraveling.

During the trial, DePape testified that he had been influenced by the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges a nefarious cabal of pedophiles controls the U.S. government. As a Canadian who moved to the U.S. over 20 years ago, DePape claimed that he distrusted news outlets and believed they repeatedly lied about former President Donald Trump.

Judge Corley mentioned that DePape is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will face deportation once his sentence is completed.