Photo Credit: Fred Schilling / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // A California man pleaded guilty April 8 to attempting to kill U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
CatholicVote previously reported that police arrested Nicholas Roske, 29, outside Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland around 1 a.m. on June 8, 2022. He was armed with a Glock pistol and several other weapons. He also carried burglary tools.
Just prior to his arrest, Roske had called 911 and told the operator that he was having suicidal and homicidal thoughts, was armed, and was planning to kill “a specific Supreme Court Justice,” according to the DOJ. Law enforcement responded to the location and arrested the would-be assassin.
While in custody, Roske stated that he was upset by the then-recently leaked Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson draft that, weeks later, returned abortion regulation to the state level. He also was upset by the May 24, 2022, Uvalde, Texas, school shooting.
CatholicVote reported that Roske’s statements before his arrest corroborated his words to the police; he had reportedly said in an online message that he was going to “stop roe v wade [sic] from being overturned,” which would involve the removal of “some people from the supreme court [sic]”
“He also made it clear that Kavanaugh was not the only justice he was targeting. ‘I could get a least [sic] one, which would change the votes for decades to come, and I am shooting for 3,’ he said,” CatholicVote reported.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned Roske’s attempted assassination in a statement, calling it “a heinous attack on the Court itself.”
“Anyone who thinks they can use violence or intimidation to influence our courts will be met with the full force of the law and face up to life in prison,” she stated.
FBI Director Kash Patel added, “Nicholas Roske sought to commit a despicable, premeditated attack on a Supreme Court Justice and today is another step toward accountability. No violent attacks can be tolerated, whether those targeted are public officials or private citizens — and the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and bring to justice all those who engage in such plots.”
According to the DOJ, Roske faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. His sentencing is set for Oct. 3.
