Written by Joyce Nzomo
U.S. prosecutors have asked a federal judge to impose a 30-year prison sentence on the person who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022.
The request, filed on Friday by the Justice Department, comes as defense lawyers confirmed that the defendant now identifies as female and goes by Sophie Roske, rather than her birth name, Nicholas Roske.
Court filings state that on June 7, 2022, Roske traveled from her home in Simi Valley, California, to Justice Kavanaugh’s residence in Maryland. Carrying weapons and other items, she spotted U.S. marshals stationed outside the justice’s house and then called 911, admitting she was suicidal and intended to kill Kavanaugh. She was arrested at the scene and later pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors argued that Roske’s actions were part of “a concerted and focused attempt to undermine and subvert the United States government.” They also disclosed that she had spoken of assassinating other Supreme Court justices, though none were identified.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement that the attempt on Kavanaugh’s life was “an attack on the entire judicial system that cannot go unpunished,” adding that the Department of Justice would ensure severe consequences for such political violence.
In a separate filing, Roske’s defense team countered that she should not face more than eight years in prison, noting that she had called police to turn herself in and fully cooperated with investigators.
Roske has been held at a Maryland jail since her arrest in 2022 and would receive credit for time already served.
Authorities have said Roske was distraught over the Supreme Court’s expected rulings on abortion rights and gun regulations.
The incident occurred shortly after the leak of a draft opinion signaling the Court’s intent to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
Now 29 years old, Roske is scheduled to be sentenced next month, with the Justice Department pressing for a three-decade prison term.
Courtesy of Reuters
