A judge has ruled that video of the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, should be released to a coalition of news organizations, denying prosecutors' request to keep it secret.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen Murphy ruled on Wednesday that the evidence against the alleged attacker, David DePape, 42, should be publicly released, siding with arguments made by a group of 13 news organizations, including the Washington Post and New York Times.

Judge Murphy ruled there was no reason to keep the footage secret, especially after prosecutors played it in open court during a preliminary hearing last month, attorney Thomas Burke, who represented the organizations suing for the evidence's release, told The New York Times.

The evidence consists of a video from a body camera worn by an officer who responded at the Pelosi home on Oct. 28, a 911 call Paul Pelosi made to police, parts of a police interview with DePape and security video taken during the break-in recorded by U.S. Capitol Police in Washington.

Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's husband, was asleep at the couple's San Francisco home on Oct. 28 when someone broke in with a hammer and severely injured him. Pelosi needed to receive surgery for a skull fracture and also received injuries to his arm and hand.

During the attack, DePape allegedly asked "Where's Nancy?" to Paul Pelosi, resorting to violence after discovering she was not home.

The attack occurred just days before the 2022 midterm elections, prompting intense speculation from the public that ignited baseless conspiracies and rampant false information.

The San Fransisco district attorney's office argued that releasing the footage to the public would allow people to manipulate it in their quest to spread false information, reports the Associated Press.

The litigious news agencies countered, saying it was crucial for prosecutors to publicly share the evidence that could debunk any false information gaining traction on the internet about the attack.

DePape faces a pair of federal assault and attempted kidnapping charges, in addition to related state charges.

Nancy Pelosi California Congress U.S.