Justice Department Seeks 30-Year Sentence in Kavanaugh Assassination Attempt

Prosecutors seek a 30-year sentence for Nicholas Roske, who attempted to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh in 2022. Defense argues for a lesser sentence. Roske, now known as Sophie, pleaded guilty, cooperated with authorities, and was motivated by opposition to impending Supreme Court rulings on abortion and gun control.

On Friday, United States prosecutors urged a judge to impose a 30-year prison sentence on Nicholas Roske, now recognized as Sophie Roske, for her 2022 assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Roske traveled from Simi Valley, California, to Justice Kavanaugh's Maryland residence on June 7, 2022. Confronted by U.S. marshals outside the house, Roske called 911 to report suicidal thoughts and a plan to murder Kavanaugh. This move, prosecutors claim, was a calculated effort to destabilize the U.S. government. Roske had also allegedly expressed intentions to target other Supreme Court justices, unnamed in court documents.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the act as a direct attack on the judicial system. While the prosecution demands a substantial sentence, Roske's lawyers propose a maximum of 96 months, citing her cooperation and willingness to turn herself in following the incident, which occurred amid the anticipations of key rulings on abortion and gun regulations.

(With inputs from agencies.)