Federal prosecutors seek at least 30-year prison sentence for attempted Kavanaugh assassin

Federal prosecutors on Friday wrote in a sentencing memo that they are hoping to secure a prison sentence of at least 30-years for the inmate who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The defendant, who previously went by Nicholas John Roske at the time but now goes by Sophie Roske after transitioning from male to female, is expected to be sentenced on Oct. 3. Roske pleaded guilty to one felony charge of attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice in April, The Hill reported. 

Roske was reportedly motivated to carry out the attempt in 2022 by a leaked Supreme Court opinion that revealed the court intended to overrule the landmark abortion decision in Roe v. Wade. The inmate did not attempt to carry out the plan after speaking to 911 and family members. Authorities recovered various weapons, including a crowbar, a pistol and ammunition.

“The defendant sought single-handedly and irrevocably to alter an entire branch of the United States government through violence,” prosecutors wrote in the filing. “Roske presented a very real threat to life to an individual and their family members — a threat that showed up at their home in the middle of the night. 

"No judicial or court official, or their family, should have to live under the fear and mental toll that they could, on any day, at any time of day or night, be gunned down based on a judicial decision," prosecutors added.

Roske faces a maximum sentence of life in prison but is likely to serve less time, as the Justice Department stated that "sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.