A California man who stands accused of attempting to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh plans to enter a guilty plea, according to a court filing submitted by his attorneys on Wednesday.
Nicholas John Roske has agreed to plead guilty to the charge of attempting to murder a U.S. Supreme Court justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Roske, who was 26 at the time, was arrested in June 2022 near Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Federal officials reported that Roske was dressed in black and was apprehended just after 1 a.m. with a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, a knife, zip ties, pepper spray, duct tape, and other items on him when he was arrested.
Justice Kavanaugh was targeted by the would-be assassin after a leaker at the Supreme Court revealed that the justices were about to overturn Roe v. Wade. After the leak, protestors gathered regularly right outside of the homes of Kavanaugh and other conservative Supreme Court justices.
Justice Samuel Alito had warned that the justices could be targeted for violence. “The leak also made those of us who were thought to be in the majority in support of overruling Roe and Casey targets for assassination,” Alito said.
MORE: Justice Alito Says Supreme Court Leak Made Him and Other Justices ‘Targets for Assassination’
At the time, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had directly threatened Justice Kavanaugh in front of an angry crowd, declaring, “I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
The clip of Schumer’s violent rhetoric, which some have labeled incitement, went viral with millions of views and countless posts on Twitter, especially in the wake of the actual attempt on Kavanaugh’s life.
Senator Schumer told Justice Kavanaugh that he will “pay the price” for decisions Democrats don’t like.
And he is leading the Senate? Reprehensible. https://t.co/yT1mZ0M1p7 pic.twitter.com/9Ti1wp3BrC
— Archive: Rep. Vicky Hartzler (@RepHartzler) June 8, 2022
FULL STORY: ‘You Will Pay the Price’: Schumer’s Violent Rhetoric Goes Viral After Attempted Murder of Justice Kavanaugh
Roske’s defense team has requested that a hearing be scheduled early next week—either Monday or Tuesday—so he can formally enter his plea. Prosecutors have agreed to the request.
Following his arrest, Roske allegedly told investigators he was motivated by the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion. He was also reportedly upset over the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and thought that Kavanaugh might support rulings that loosened gun laws. Authorities say he expressed in written statements that eliminating a justice could alter the court’s decisions for years.
In response to Roske’s arrest, lawmakers passed a bill expanding security protections for Supreme Court justices and their families.
During an October 2022 court hearing, U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte had suggested that a psychological evaluation might be necessary to determine whether Roske was competent to stand trial or enter a plea. However, defense attorney Andrew Szekely later stated that Roske’s legal team was not requesting a court-ordered mental health evaluation.
After Judge Messitte passed away in January, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman took over the case.
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