Man Charged with Plotting to Kill Kavanaugh Seeks to Exclude Evidence
Nicholas Roske, accused of attempting to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh, argues for evidence exclusion in court.
Nicholas Roske, Brett Kavanaugh, Maryland, Assassination Attempt, Mental Health
Bethesda: A California man, Nicholas Roske, is in hot water for allegedly trying to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh back in 2022. He’s been pretty open about his struggles, even saying he felt “actively suicidal” and thought he could do something good by taking Kavanaugh out.
Roske’s defense team is pushing hard to keep some evidence out of the trial. They argue that police didn’t have a warrant when they searched his stuff after his arrest. Plus, they claim he wasn’t given his rights before being questioned, which could mess with the validity of his statements.
His trial is set for June 9, and it’s been a long wait for everyone involved. The defense filings reveal a lot about Roske’s mindset and why he targeted Kavanaugh. He mentioned that the leaked draft opinion about overturning Roe v. Wade really got to him.
During his interrogation, Roske was pretty blunt about his intentions. He told the FBI he planned to kill Kavanaugh and then himself. He started plotting about a month before the incident, which coincided with the uproar over the Supreme Court’s potential decision on abortion rights.
Roske also expressed anger over recent Supreme Court rulings that seemed to expand gun rights, especially after some tragic mass shootings. He bought a Glock in California and made his way to Kavanaugh’s home in the dead of night.
He even found Kavanaugh’s address by doing some online digging. But when he got there, he saw two men on the lawn and got cold feet. He texted his sister to say he loved her, which alarmed her enough to call him. That led him to call 911 instead of going through with his plan, and the police arrested him without any fuss.
Roske has been in custody since his arrest and hasn’t tried to get out on bail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which could land him a life sentence if convicted. The legal back-and-forth has been ongoing, with both sides trying to work out a plea deal, but they haven’t found common ground yet.
Judge Peter Messitte is set to hear arguments on the defense’s motions in April, so it looks like this case is far from over.