Brett Kavanaugh assassination plot
{{short description|2022 plot to assassinate U.S. Supreme Court justice}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Brett Kavanaugh assassination plot
| image = Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh Official Portrait (full length).jpg
| caption = Kavanaugh's Supreme Court portrait
| type = Attempted assassination, attempted murder-suicide
| image_size =
| location = Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S.
| coordinates =
| target = Brett Kavanaugh
| date = {{Start date and age|2022|6|8}}
| time = 1:05 a.m.
| timezone = EST
| weapons =
| fatalities = 0
| injuries = 0
| perp = Nicholas Roske
| verdict =
| motive =
| charges = Attempted murder of a Justice of the United States
}}
On June 8, 2022, Nicholas Roske traveled to the home of Brett Kavanaugh, an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, with plans to break into Kavanaugh's home, kill him, and then commit suicide.{{cite web |last1=Lybrand |first1=Holmes |last2=Sneed |first2=Tierney |date=July 27, 2022 |title=FBI says man accused of attempting to kill Brett Kavanaugh said he was 'shooting for 3' justices |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/politics/kavanaugh-roske-arrest-warrant/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250302162154/https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/politics/kavanaugh-roske-arrest-warrant/index.html |archive-date=March 2, 2025 |access-date=October 30, 2022 |website=CNN}} After arriving at Kavanaugh's residence, Roske called the police on himself and was arrested.{{cite news |last1=Cramer |first1=Maria |last2=Jiménez |first2=Jesus |date=June 8, 2022 |title=Armed Man Traveled to Justice Kavanaugh's Home to Kill Him, Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/us/brett-kavanaugh-threat-arrest.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205101642/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/08/us/brett-kavanaugh-threat-arrest.html |archive-date=February 5, 2025 |access-date=October 31, 2022 |work=The New York Times |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}}
Roske told police he was frustrated with the leaked Supreme Court decision that was poised to overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that guaranteed abortion as a right, as well as a recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the possibility of the Court loosening gun restrictions under the Second Amendment.
Incident
Roske traveled by plane from his residence in Simi Valley, California, to the Washington, D.C., area. He then took a taxi cab to Kavanaugh's home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, arriving at 1:05 a.m. on June 8, 2022.{{cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Melissa |last2=MacFarlane |first2=Scott |date=June 9, 2022 |others=Contributions from Jack Turman and Gillian Morley |title=Man arrested near Kavanaugh's home charged with attempting to murder Supreme Court justice |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicholas-roske-brett-kavanaugh-attempted-murder/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226010153/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicholas-roske-brett-kavanaugh-attempted-murder/ |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=November 2, 2022 |website=CBS News}} He was wearing black clothing and was carrying a suitcase, a backpack, and several items and weapons: a Glock-17 pistol with ammunition, zip ties, a tactical knife, pepper spray, a hammer, a screwdriver, a nail punch, a crowbar, duct tape, a pistol light, and boots padded to be stealthy.{{cite news |last=Morse |first=Dan |date=June 9, 2022 |title=New 911 tapes show how man accused in Kavanaugh murder plot abandoned plan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/09/roske-kavanaugh-911-tapes/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231124719/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/09/roske-kavanaugh-911-tapes/ |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=2269358}}{{cite web |last1=Lybrand |first1=Holmes |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Man charged with attempting to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh pleads not guilty |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/22/politics/roske-kavanaugh/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225094546/https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/22/politics/roske-kavanaugh/index.html |archive-date=December 25, 2024 |access-date=November 1, 2022 |website=CNN}} Upon Roske's arrival, two deputy U.S. Marshals stationed outside Kavanaugh's home saw him step out of the cab.
After arriving and seeing the deputy U.S. Marshals, Roske started walking down the street. He then texted his sister and told her his intentions; she convinced him to call 9-1-1.{{cite news |last=Morse |first=Dan |date=June 15, 2022 |title=Man accused of Kavanaugh murder plot indicted by federal grand jury |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/15/new-indictment-kavanaugh-assassination-plot/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723003713/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/15/new-indictment-kavanaugh-assassination-plot/ |archive-date=July 23, 2024 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=2269358}} At 1:38 a.m., Roske called 9-1-1 and was connected with Montgomery County's emergency communications center. Roske told the operator that he was having suicidal thoughts, that he was armed, and that he had traveled from California to Maryland "to kill a specific United States Supreme Court justice". He also said, "I'm standing now, but I can sit, whatever. I want to be fully compliant." When police arrived, Roske was still on the phone with the communications center, and he was arrested without incident.
Perpetrator
Nicholas John Roske was a 26-year-old man from Simi Valley, California, at the time of the assassination attempt.{{cite news |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Judge likely to order mental evaluation for defendant in Kavanaugh threat case |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kavanaugh-threat-case-mental-evaluation-likely/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226163451/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kavanaugh-threat-case-mental-evaluation-likely/ |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=November 2, 2022 |work=CBS News |agency=Associated Press}}
After his arrest, Roske told police he was upset about the leaked draft of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which signaled the Court was positioned to overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that declared abortion a Constitutional right. He also cited a recent school shooting in Texas and his belief that Kavanaugh would loosen gun restrictions.{{cite news |last=Morley |first=Gillian |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Nicholas Roske, accused of trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh, pleads not guilty |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicholas-roske-brett-kavanaugh-attempted-assassination/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226012835/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicholas-roske-brett-kavanaugh-attempted-assassination/ |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |work=CBS News}} On internet chats, Roske wrote, "Im{{sic}} gonna stop roe v wade from being overturned" and that he was going to "Remove some people from the supreme court." It was later revealed that Roske spoke of killing two other conservative Supreme Court justices.
Roske's indictment revealed that his intention was to kill three conservative supreme court justices so that three liberal supreme court justices could be appointed and change the dynamics of the supreme court "for decades to come."{{cite web |date=July 28, 2022 |title=Feds: Kavanaugh plotter sought to alter court 'for decades' |url=https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-california-brett-kavanaugh-government-and-politics-92d85658f9d6c0402108645877fa5c5a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214234938/https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-california-brett-kavanaugh-government-and-politics-92d85658f9d6c0402108645877fa5c5a |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |website=Associated Press}}
=Legal proceedings=
Roske has been held by authorities since his arrest on June 8, 2022.{{cite news |last=Morse |first=Dan |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Man accused in Kavanaugh assassination plot pleads not guilty |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/22/man-accused-kavanaugh-assassination-plot-pleads-not-guilty/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707125823/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/22/man-accused-kavanaugh-assassination-plot-pleads-not-guilty/ |archive-date=July 7, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=2269358}} A federal grand jury indicted Roske of attempted murder of a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.{{cite web |date=June 15, 2022 |title=California Man Facing Federal Indictment in Maryland for the Attempted Murder of a Supreme Court Justice |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/california-man-facing-federal-indictment-maryland-attempted-murder-supreme-court-justice |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250207184955/https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/california-man-facing-federal-indictment-maryland-attempted-murder-supreme-court-justice |archive-date=February 7, 2025 |access-date=November 4, 2022 |website=United States Attorney's Office, District of Maryland}} On March 18, 2023, Roske's attorneys requested more time to coordinate their defense, which was granted by Judge Peter Messitte.{{cite web |last1=Willer-Allred |first1=Michele |date=March 18, 2023 |title=Roske defense wants extra time to vet facts in attempted murder case |url=https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/roske-defense-wants-extra-time-to-vet-facts-in-attempted-murder-case/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628114655/https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/roske-defense-wants-extra-time-to-vet-facts-in-attempted-murder-case/ |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |access-date=October 4, 2023 |website=Simi Valley Acorn}} On July 22, 2023, Roske pleaded not guilty to the charges.{{cite web |last=Belmond |first=Sylvie |last2=Willer-Allred |first2=Michele |date=July 2022 |title=Roske pleads not guilty to murder attempt |url=https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/roske-pleads-not-guilty-to-murder-attempt/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122214353/https://www.simivalleyacorn.com/articles/roske-pleads-not-guilty-to-murder-attempt/ |archive-date=January 22, 2025 |access-date=March 19, 2025 |website=Simi Valley Acorn}} A trial date was set for June 9, 2025, however, Roske later changed his plea to guilty.{{cite web |last1=Lybrand |first1=Holmes |date=August 20, 2024 |title=Man charged in assassination plot against Brett Kavanaugh to stand trial in June 2025 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/20/politics/kavanaugh-roske-trial/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226014745/https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/20/politics/kavanaugh-roske-trial/index.html |archive-date=December 26, 2024 |access-date=August 20, 2024 |website=CNN}}{{cite web |title=Nicholas Roske, man accused of trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh, intends to plead guilty, court documents show |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicholas-roske-brett-kavanaugh-intends-guilty/ |website=CBS News |access-date=April 8, 2025}} On April 8, 2025, Roske pleaded guilty to attempting to kill Justice Kavanaugh. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman on October 3, 2025. Prosecutors indicate that federal sentencing guidelines suggest a sentence ranging from 30 years to life imprisonment.{{cite web |title=Man pleads guilty to trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh at judge’s home |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/08/brett-kavanaugh-man-pleads-guilty |website=The Guardian |access-date=April 8, 2025}}