A California judge has ordered video of the attack on Paul Pelosi – the husband of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – to be played inside their San Francisco home.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen Murphy on Wednesday denied a request from prosecutors and said there was no reason to keep the footage secret after the prosecution released it during a preliminary hearing last month, Thomas Burke, a lawyer representing news agencies on the matter. , told the Associated Press.
David DePape is charged in the attack.
Fox News is among the news agencies pushing for the release of the video showing the October 28 attack.
The footage, which the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office has now released to Murphy, could be made public as early as Thursday.
NANCY PELOSI CALLED PRIESTS TO PERFORM ‘EXORCISM’ AFTER HUSBAND’S HAMMER ATTACK, HER DAUGHTER SAYS
Paul Pelosi, left, was allegedly attacked by a man looking for his wife, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
(Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images)
Paul Pelosi was sleeping at the couple’s home in San Francisco when someone broke in and beat him with a hammer. Prosecutors have charged DePape, 42, in connection with the attack.
During a preliminary hearing last month, prosecutors released excerpts from Paul Pelosi’s 911 call, along with footage from Capitol police surveillance cameras, body cameras worn by the two officers who arrived at the house and a video of DePape’s interview with the police.
However, when news organizations requested copies of this evidence, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office refused to release it.
PAUL PELOSI ATTACKS SUSPECT DAVID DEPAPE PLEADS GUILTY AND WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A SPEEDY TRIAL
David DePape in Berkeley, California on December 13, 2013.
(Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The district attorney’s office argued that releasing the images publicly would only allow people to manipulate them in their quest to spread false information.
However, news organizations argued it was vital for prosecutors to publicly share their evidence that could debunk any misinformation circulating on the internet about the attack, according to The Associated Press.
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General views of the home of Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, November 1, 2022.
(Rafael Fontoura for Fox News Digital)
“You’re not eliminating the right of public access just because of concerns about conspiracy theories,” Burke said.
DePape pleaded not guilty last month to six counts, including attempted murder. Police say DePape told them there was “evil in Washington” and that he wanted to hurt Nancy Pelosi because she was second in line to the presidency. His case is pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
