Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh\u2019s would-be assassin now identifies as a transgender woman who has suffered severe mental illness, including suicidal ideation, according to newly surfaced court filings.<\/p>\n
Defense attorneys revealed Friday that 29-year-old Nicholas John Roske, who pleaded guilty in April to attempting to kill Kavanaugh, will henceforth be referred to by her lawyers as \u201cSophie Roske.\u201d<\/p>\n
The public defenders assigned to Roske\u2019s case indicated in a court filing that they will refer to their client with female pronouns \u201cout of respect,\u201d though Roske has not filed to legally change it.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh\u2019s would-be assassin now identifies as a transgender woman, according to court filings. Kevin Dietsch\/CNP\/AdMedia<\/p>\n
The legal filing was first spotted by the news site Daily Wire.<\/a> The Post has sought comment from the public defenders.<\/p>\n Roske was arrested outside Kavanaugh\u2019s Maryland home in June 2022, carrying a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, a tactical light, zip ties, pepper spray and burglary tools.<\/p>\n He told investigators he planned to kill the justice after the Supreme Court\u2019s draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade<\/a> was leaked.<\/p>\n Justice Department prosecutors are demanding a sentence of no less than 30 years<\/a>, warning in their filing that any attack on a sitting judge \u201cmust be justly and severely condemned.\u201d<\/p>\n Federal prosecutors revealed Friday that 29-year-old Nicholas John Roske, who pleaded guilty in April to attempting to kill Kavanaugh, will be referred by her attorneys as \u201cSophie Roske.\u201d U.S. District Court of Maryland<\/p>\n \u201cThis Court\u2019s sentence must send the unequivocal, clear, and strong message that attempted violence and threats of violence against members of the judiciary \u2026 cannot and will not be tolerated,\u201d the DOJ wrote.<\/p>\n Attorney General Pam Bondi called Roske a \u201cdisturbed individual\u201d and blasted the plot as \u201cpolitical violence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis attempt against the life of a Supreme Court Justice was an attack on the entire judicial system that cannot go unpunished,\u201d Bondi told Daily Wire.<\/p>\n The news site reported that Roske was already using female identities online before the assassination attempt.<\/p>\n Roske was arrested outside Kavanaugh\u2019s Maryland home in June 2022, carrying a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, a tactical light, zip ties, pepper spray and burglary tools.<\/p>\n Authorities say Roske meticulously researched assassination methods, searching online for \u201cquietest semi auto rifle,\u201d \u201cmost effective way to silently kill someone,\u201d and \u201ccountries least likely to extradite to the US.\u201d<\/p>\n In Discord chats, Roske admitted he was suicidal but wanted to \u201cdo something positive before I die\u201d<\/a> by preventing Kavanaugh from voting to overturn Roe.<\/p>\n He asked friends whether eliminating justices would \u201chelp women long term\u201d and declared the Roe and gay marriage rulings had him \u201cfurious.\u201d<\/p>\n When arrested, Roske confessed to police that he bought the gun \u201cwith the intention of using it. To kill [the justice] and then myself.\u201d<\/p>\n He told detectives his sister persuaded him to call 911 before carrying out the attack.<\/p>\n Federal prosecutors will ask for a minimum prison sentence of 30 years for Roske. New York Post\/David Buchan David Thompson (RedThink Media). 310-484-4952 davidthompsonla@gmail.comMike Stotts<\/p>\n Prosecutors say Roske targeted multiple justices and bought weapons after protests outside their homes revealed addresses online.<\/p>\n He searched for \u201cdoes the Secret Service protect Supreme Court justices\u201d and studied leaked photographs of Kavanaugh\u2019s residence.<\/a><\/p>\n The May 2022 Politico leak of the draft Dobbs opinion<\/a> triggered nationwide protests. Demonstrators gathered outside the homes of conservative justices, prompting federal security upgrades.<\/p>\n To date, the source of the leak has never been identified.<\/p>\n Court records show Roske began researching weapons and assassination tactics in March 2022.<\/p>\n He googled \u201cwhich person\u2019s death would have the biggest impact on the world,\u201d \u201chow to break glass quietly\u201d and \u201chow to make handcuffs with zip ties.\u201d<\/p>\n By April, his searches included mass shooting videos and school shooter footage. He also looked up which silencers are best for a Glock pistol and whether \u201csnipers aim for the head or the chest.\u201d<\/p>\n Attorney General Pam Bondi called Roske a \u201cdisturbed individual\u201d and blasted the plot to assassinate Kavanaugh as \u201cpolitical violence.\u201d AP<\/p>\n In one chilling message, Roske wrote: \u201cMy mental health is too poor for me to fear death. But prison sounds worse\u2026 To be monitored to the point where you can\u2019t even kill yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n He purchased his Glock and tools before boarding a plane from California to Dulles International Airport. From there, he went to Kavanaugh\u2019s neighborhood with the intention of killing the justice.<\/p>\n Authorities later confirmed he tracked the justice\u2019s home through activist posts online that included house numbers and photographs.<\/p>\n The revelation comes a week after Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, allegedly shot and killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Getty Images<\/p>\n Prosecutors disclosed that Roske searched 28 times for body armor after the Supreme Court leak and made more than 90 firearms-related searches in the weeks before his arrest.<\/p>\n He also researched insanity defenses, searching: \u201cWhat happens if you are suicidal in prison\u201d and \u201cIf you are hospitalized after a crime what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite pleading guilty, Roske\u2019s case has largely disappeared<\/a> from public discussion since 2022. Friday\u2019s filing marked the first public confirmation that the would-be assassin now identifies as transgender.<\/p>\n The revelation comes as federal authorities face mounting pressure over what some conservative groups call a pattern of violence linked to trans-identifying individuals.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, the Oversight Project urged the FBI to classify \u201cTransgender Ideology Violent Extremism\u201d<\/a> as a domestic threat.<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s roommate, Lance Twiggs, is reportedly transgender. Investigators are looking into whether trans-related ideologies motivated Robinson to assassinate Kirk. Lance Twiggs\/ TikTok<\/p>\n The Daily Wire reported the Justice Department has discussed restricting gun access <\/a>for people with gender dysphoria, labeling it a mental disorder that poses a potential risk for violence.<\/p>\n As for Roske, prosecutors said his planned attack<\/a> represented an effort to \u201csingle-handedly alter the Constitutional order for ideological ends.\u201d<\/p>\n Sentencing is expected later this year.<\/p>\n Recent high-profile shootings have drawn attention to suspects with transgender ties, though the circumstances vary.<\/p>\n The revelation comes a week after Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, allegedly shot and killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.<\/a><\/p>\n Kirk was shot dead last week during an event on the campus of a Utah university. SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n In the Kirk case, the alleged shooter was not transgender, but his romantic partner was transitioning \u2014 fueling speculation that the assassination of the conservative activist had a trans-related motive.<\/p>\n Last month, Robin Westman, a trans woman, carried out a deadly shooting at a Minneapolis church<\/a>, leaving writings that revealed deep personal turmoil and fixation on mass violence.<\/p>\n