Attorney General Promises Legal Action Over Kavanaugh Assassination Attempt
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pam Bondy stated her intention to declare that the Department of Justice will “sue a terrible and inadequate” ruling regarding the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which was recently addressed by a federal judge in Maryland.
Bondy described the assassination attempt as a “disgusting attack” on the judicial system by deeply troubled individuals in a post on X. She expressed that the Department of Justice would be contesting the district court’s inadequate ruling, which, according to her, does not adequately reflect the severity of the situation.
Maryland District Judge Deborah Boardman had assigned the accused, Nicolas Roske, who identifies as a trans woman named “Sophie.” Roske attempted to assassinate Kavanaugh in June 2022, arriving at Kavanaugh’s residence with a Glock 17, ammunition, tactical lights, pepper spray, and burglary tools.
After leaving a taxi in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Roske encountered U.S. Marshals and subsequently called 911 to report suicidal thoughts and intentions to commit murder, seeking help from a psychiatric facility.
Federal agents stated that 29-year-old Roske had plotted to kill Kavanaugh following the Supreme Court’s decision on DOBBS v. Jackson Women’s Health, which had gained attention after Politico leaked a draft opinion months earlier.
In a confession, Roske expressed his outrage that both Roe v. Wade and same-sex marriage had been “abolished.” He revealed intentions to target multiple justices and claimed that his planned assassination could influence court decisions for decades.
The prosecution, in a memo filed on September 26, characterized Roske’s actions and motivations as determined and extremely dangerous, posing a threat to the lives of several sitting judges and their families.
Prosecutors argued that the sentences pursued in this case should convey a strong message to anyone considering similar violent actions against the judicial system.
In court, Roske apologized to Kavanaugh and his family, acknowledging the role his actions played in the escalating climate of political violence in America. He conveyed that the “tragic mistake” he made would haunt him throughout his life.
Roske emphasized the destructiveness of his actions, expressing shame for not recognizing their implications sooner.
His defense team, in their sentencing memo, included letters from family members urging leniency. They highlighted Roske’s cooperation with law enforcement, his voluntary admissions of guilt, and his mental health struggles, including previous suicide attempts and the harsh conditions in federal prisons.
Although Roske’s legal representatives began referring to him with female pronouns, the name Nicolas Roske had not been legally changed during the legal proceedings.
At the hearing, Judge Boardman voiced empathy for Roske’s situation, noting that he was receiving hormone therapy but had been placed in a facility aligned with his assigned gender at birth due to former President Trump’s policies.
Roske has been undergoing gender transition procedures since being incarcerated in mid-2022.
