WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Department of Justice plans to appeal what she described as the “woefully insufficient” sentence given to the would-be assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh by a Maryland federal judge on Friday.
Bondi stated on X, “The attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was a reprehensible attack on our entire judicial system by an individual with severe psychological issues.”
She added, “@TheJusticeDept will be appealing the woefully insufficient sentence imposed by the district court, which fails to reflect the horrifying reality of this case.”
Maryland U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, appointed by former President Joe Biden, sentenced attempted killer Nicholas Roske, who later identified as a trans woman named “Sophie,” to only eight years in prison. This sentence was aligned with the recommendation from his defense team, alongside a lifetime of supervised release.
The DOJ had been advocating for a prison sentence of 30 years to life for the individual who targeted the Supreme Court Justice in June 2022, arriving by taxi at Kavanaugh’s residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland, armed with a Glock 17 pistol, additional ammunition, a tactical light, zip ties, pepper spray, and burglary tools.
Roske, originally from Simi Valley, California, noticed U.S. Marshals as he exited the taxi, chose to continue walking, and subsequently called 911 reporting suicidal and homicidal thoughts while seeking psychiatric assistance.
According to federal investigators, Roske, 29, had intended to assassinate the justice after the draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health was leaked by Politico months prior.
“I was enraged by the thought of Roe v. Wade and the potential repeal of gay marriage,” Roske later admitted, revealing he targeted at least three justices and aimed to commit an assassination that could shift the Court’s decisions for decades, based on information and encrypted messages intercepted by authorities.
In their sentencing memorandum submitted on September 26, prosecutors emphasized, “The defendant’s determined and focused actions over several months posed a significant threat to multiple sitting judges, their families, and the integrity of the Constitutional judicial order.”
“The penalty given in this case must relay a powerful message, both to this defendant and to others considering acts of assassination to interfere with judicial independence: such actions are never justified and carry severe repercussions.”
In court, Roske extended his apologies to Kavanaugh, the justice’s family, other members of the Supreme Court, and the broader public for contributing to a trend of political violence, stating, “This grave error in judgment will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“I now realize how destructive and misguided such actions are, and I regret not recognizing this sooner,” Roske expressed in a written declaration submitted to the court.
Defense attorneys, in their sentencing memo, which included letters from family members, urged the judge to refrain from imposing the prosecution’s proposed prison term, citing Roske’s “voluntary disclosure of the offense, peaceful surrender, and cooperation with law enforcement” post-arrest.
They also referred to Roske’s “history of mental health issues,” including past suicidal thoughts and at least one suicide attempt, alongside concerns about the “harshness of federal prison conditions,” particularly for transgender inmates under policies established during the Trump administration.
While the defense began recognizing their client as “Sophie” and employing female pronouns in court documents, Nicholas Roske did not legally change their name throughout the prosecution.
Roske’s defense argued that the inclination to kill Kavanaugh, which involved acquiring firearms and burglary tools, stemmed from deep-seated personal issues, emphasizing Roske’s ongoing struggle with suicidal thoughts for months prior.
Judge Boardman expressed empathy during the sentencing, regarding Roske as “a transgender woman” who desired hormone therapy and was facing challenges due to previous executive orders affecting the treatment of transgender individuals in federal facilities, according to a report by The Daily Caller.
Since mid-2022, Roske has been undergoing procedures related to gender reassignment.
With Post wires
