Nicholas Roske receives a light sentence for attempting to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh.
Nicholas Roske, the man who flew across the country and headed to Justice Kavanaugh’s neighborhood with a gun in hopes of executing him, and possibly other Supreme Court Justices, was sentenced today. Prosecutors wanted the judge to give Roske 30 years, which was the recommended sentence based on guidelines. Instead, the judge gave him just 8 years.
The 29-year-old Californian who flew across the country to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh was sentenced to eight years in prison Friday.
The punishment was 22 years less than the minimum of 30 years sought by prosecutors.
Boardman cited Roske’s decision to call 911 after arriving in Kavanaugh’s neighborhood in 2022 and Roske’s lack of criminal history. Federal sentencing guidelines in the case, while not binding, also recommended a sentence of at least 30 years.
But those weren’t the only reasons the judge cited. Roske’s attorneys recently revealed that he is trans and began transitioning before the attack.
In a recent court filing, attorneys representing Roske said their client goes by Sophie Roske and is transgender. Roske began transitioning in 2020, the filing says. Roske’s name in court headings remains Nicholas Roske. In court Friday, Roske’s attorneys and Boardman referred to the defendant as Ms. Roske.
Judge Boardman, a Biden appointee, also limited the sentence out of concern that Roske wouldn’t be able to get gender-affirming care in a male prison.
