Man Plans To Plead Guilty To Attempting To Assassinate SCOTUS Justice

Nicholas John Roske has decided to plead guilty to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a crime that could result in life imprisonment for the California man who was arrested near the justice’s Maryland home in 2022 with weapons and zip ties.

Key Takeaways

Nicholas John Roske intends to plead guilty to attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh without a plea agreement.
Roske was arrested in June 2022 near Kavanaugh’s Maryland home with a Glock 17 pistol, knife, zip ties, and burglary tools.
He was reportedly motivated by the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade and outrage over the Uvalde school shooting.
Roske called 911 on himself, telling operators he intended to kill Kavanaugh and then commit suicide.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release.

The Assassination Plot Unfolds

In June 2022, US deputy marshals observed Nicholas John Roske outside Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home dressed in black and carrying a backpack and suitcase. Upon searching his belongings, authorities discovered a disturbing arsenal: a Glock 17 pistol with two magazines and ammunition, a tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crowbar, and other burglary tools.

According to court documents, Roske had traveled all the way from California to Maryland with the specific purpose of killing Kavanaugh. His alleged motivation stemmed from his opposition to the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that would eventually overturn Roe v. Wade, as well as his belief that Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun control laws following the tragic Uvalde school shooting that had occurred just weeks earlier.

Nicholas Roske, man accused of trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh, intends to plead guilty, court documents show https://t.co/OI5nu7S1qb

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) April 3, 2025

The Self-Reported Threat

Roske’s plan was thwarted not by law enforcement intervention but by his own actions. After arriving near Kavanaugh’s residence, Roske called 911 on himself and confessed his intentions to emergency operators. During this call, he explicitly stated his plan to kill Justice Kavanaugh and then commit suicide. This call led to Roske’s arrest by Montgomery County Police.

The arrest occurred without incident, with Roske surrendering to police who responded to his own emergency call. This self-reporting has been a notable aspect of the case, raising questions about Roske’s mental state at the time of the incident, though his defense has not pursued an insanity defense.

The Legal Proceedings

Initially, Roske entered a not guilty plea following his indictment. However, in a significant development, his defense attorneys recently filed court documents stating their client’s intention to change his plea. “Mr. Roske wishes to plead guilty to the one-count Indictment pending against him,” his defense attorney wrote in the filing, acknowledging that Roske understands “the elements of the offense” and accepts responsibility for his actions.

The case, now overseen by US District Judge Deborah Boardman, is moving toward a plea hearing requested for early April in Greenbelt, Maryland. Notably, Roske is pleading guilty without any plea agreement in place, which means he faces the full possible sentence for the charge: life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervised release. Prior court proceedings had determined there was a “very high likelihood” the judge would order a mental health evaluation for Roske.

Broader Implications

Roske’s arrest in 2022 prompted immediate action to enhance security for Supreme Court justices and their families. The incident occurred during a period of heightened tensions surrounding the Court, as it was deliberating on highly divisive issues including abortion rights and gun control. The threat against Justice Kavanaugh underscored the increasing politicization of the Supreme Court and the personal dangers justices may face as a result of their positions on controversial issues.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the potential for political disagreements to escalate into violence, particularly in an era of intense polarization. While Roske’s guilty plea will bring legal closure to this specific incident, the broader concerns about the safety of public officials and the extreme manifestations of political discord remain pressing issues for American society and law enforcement.