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By Mandy Taheri and Gabe Whisnant
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A California man wishes to "enter a plea of guilty" to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his Maryland home nearly three years ago, according to a court filing reviewed by Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Nicholas John Roske, who was then-26 years old, was arrested in June 2022 near Kavanaugh's residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Authorities said he was armed with a gun and a knife, carried zip ties, and wore all black when he arrived by taxi shortly after 1 a.m.
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He is charged with the attempted assassination of a Supreme Court Justice—an offense that carries a potential life sentence—which he is expected to plead guilty to next week.
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What To Know
In a filing dated Tuesday, April 1, but entered into the docket on Wednesday, Roske's attorneys stated that their client intends to plead guilty to the charge of attempted assassination.
His lawyers noted that the "elements of the offense" to which Roske will plead guilty to are that he "intended to kill" Kavanaugh and that he "took a substantial step towards killing" the Supreme Court Justice.
Roske, who is from Simi Valley, California, flew from Los Angeles International Airport to Dulles International Airport on June 7, 2022. He then took a taxi to outside of Kavanaugh's house in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.
According to an FBI affidavit, Roske told police he was motivated by a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion. That leak showed a majority of justices were poised to strike down Roe v. Wade after hearing arguments on a Mississippi law that was a direct challenge to the landmark abortion rights case. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, which protected abortion rights.
He reportedly believed that assassinating one or more justices could influence the Court's future rulings, allegedly writing, "I am shooting for three." He also cited outrage over the Uvalde school shooting and believed Justice Kavanaugh would weaken gun laws.
Roske was arrested after calling 911 and informing a dispatcher that he was near Justice Kavanaugh's home and intended to take his own life. The filing notes that Roske told law enforcement officers he intended to "kill the Associate Justice and then himself."
The case has been reassigned to U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman following Messitte's passing.
The filing notes that the maximum sentence for the offense is "life imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and lifetime supervised release."
What Happens Next
A trial for Roske was originally set for June 9, however, his lawyers have requested in an April 2 filing, that a hearing be scheduled for early next week in Greenbelt, Maryland. The lawyers suggested Monday, April 7 for the guilty plea hearing.
The prosecution, Assistant United States Attorneys Coreen Mao and Thomas
Sullivan, have consented to the request for a guilty plea hearing, as stated in the filing.
Update 4/2/25, 1:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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