Court filings show the man who tried to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh identifies as a “transgender” woman and uses female pronouns.
The Department of Justice asked a judge on Friday to sentence 29-year-old Nicholas John Roske to 30 years in prison. The request stems from the 2022 attack on Kavanaugh.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, on June 8, 2022, a 26-year-old man from Simi Valley, California, was charged with the attempted murder of Kavanaugh following a 911 call made by the suspect.
At approximately 1 a.m. on June 8, Roske is said to have arrived at Kavanaugh’s home in Montgomery County, Maryland, dressed in dark clothing and carrying a gun, a knife, and zip ties.
Roske allegedly found the address of the justice online.
Two U.S. Marshals who were assigned to provide security for Kavanaugh observed Roske exiting a taxi close to the justice’s residence. The marshals are part of the continuous security arrangement established for the justices in response to recent pro-abortion demonstrations occurring in front of the homes of Supreme Court justices, The Dallas Express previously reported.
Roske was arrested after calling 911 and expressing suicidal thoughts along with a plan to kill Kavanaugh. Roske was reportedly upset over the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Uvalde school shooting, believing Kavanaugh would vote to “weaken gun control laws,” according to the affidavit.
Defense papers obtained by the Daily Wire indicate that Roske now “identifies” as Sophie Roske. The filing states that the defense will use female pronouns and refer to the defendant as Sophie.
The DOJ argued in court papers that the sentence must send a clear message. The filing urged a sentence strong enough to “reflect the harm sought to be inflicted on the judiciary,” per the Daily Wire. It warned that such acts “— no fewer than 30 years to life in prison — are not worth the perceived ideological ends.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the attack qualified as “political violence,” calling the defendant a “disturbed individual.”
“This attempt against the life of a Supreme Court Justice was an attack on the entire judicial system that cannot go unpunished,” Bondi told the Daily Wire. “This Department of Justice condemns political violence and our prosecutors will ensure that this disturbed individual faces severe consequences for his deranged actions.”
The filings detail online research and weapon purchases, including Roske buying a Glock 17 and other tactical gear.
Court records quote Roske writing on Discord: “My mental health is too poor for me to fear death,” adding, “But prison sounds worse. To be monitored to the point where you can’t even kill yourself.”
The papers also show that Roske told officers at the scene, “I was thinking about — I was thinking about killing Brett Kavanaugh and then killing myself.” They quote him telling detectives, “I saw the news and it was upsetting, and I was already suicidal.”
“I was under the delusion that I could make the world a better place by killing him,” Roske reportedly told officers.
The filings say Roske researched whether an insanity defense could apply and searched for countries that do not extradite to the United States.