A federal judge in Greenbelt, Md., sentenced the individual who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to just over 8 years in prison last Friday, a term significantly shorter than the 30 years prosecutors had sought.
Sophie Roske hoped to kill the conservative justice before he could overturn Roe v. Wade, spending weeks researching and purchasing weapons.
Court records indicate that Roske flew across the country and appeared on Kavanaugh’s suburban Maryland street in the dead of night, armed with a pistol, zip ties, and pepper spray, before being apprehended.
U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman remarked, “The actions of Sophie Roske, who planned and nearly carried out the murder of a Supreme Court justice to influence a court ruling, are utterly reprehensible and warrant punishment.”
Declining the prosecutors’ plea for a harsher sentence, Boardman acknowledged Roske’s decision to back down from the plan, her clean criminal record, and expressed remorse. Additionally, the judge factored in President Trump’s executive order that would result in Roske, a transgender woman, being placed in a male facility.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao labeled Roske as “a very real threat to our system of government” during the sentencing hearing. Mao highlighted that the defendant had previously sent messages indicating intent to harm other justices.
“Judges and public officials should not have to endure the fear of being assassinated at any moment simply for fulfilling their duties,” Mao stated.
Mao encouraged U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman to hand down a lengthy sentence to serve as a deterrent for others thinking about political violence. Mao noted someone this spring mailed a threat to Kavanaugh that contained Roske’s name.
As the Justice Department pushed for at least 30-years imprisonment and up to life, Roske asked for leniency with eight years. She apologized to Kavanaugh, and her family members submitted letters indicating they’d support her. Roske, her parents and sister all testified Friday.
“I have been portrayed as a monster, and this tragic mistake I made will follow me for the rest of my life,” said an emotional Roske, wearing a yellow jumpsuit.
Roske’s request for a reduced sentence also raised concerns about how she’d be treated in prison as a transgender woman.
Boardman, an appointee of former President Biden, at one point said “let’s not hide” President Trump’s executive order that restricts gender-affirming care for inmates and requires transgender women be housed in male prisons.
Kavanaugh and his family did not attend Friday’s sentencing or submit a victim impact statement.
Roske’s effort to assassinate Kavanaugh has become one of the highest-profile examples of rising violence against the judiciary. The U.S. Marshals Service reported 562 threats against federal judges just last fiscal year. Friday’s sentencing also comes weeks after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Court documents reveal Roske grew up in California, earning the rank of Eagle Scout and actively participating in her church. But by the end of high school, Roske’s mental health tumbled, and she attempted to take her own life in 2015.
Roske continued to struggle with mental health issues and says she realized in 2020 she was transgender. But she kept it a secret from her conservative parents, and their relationship became combative.
By 2022, Roske decided again she wanted to take her own life. After learning of the leaked draft Supreme Court majority overturning abortion rights and protests outside justices’ homes, Roske began planning the would-be assassination.
“I was under the delusion that I could make the world a better place by killing him,” Roske later told investigators of her plot to kill Kavanaugh.
Court records show Roske spent weeks researching and purchasing weapons to use and sent messages on Discord suggesting she also desired to kill other justices.
In June 2022, Roske flew from California to Washington Dulles International Airport and took a taxi to Kavanaugh’s street in Maryland, arriving in the middle of the night.
The plot was only foiled after Roske noticed law enforcement and spoke on the phone with her sister and then 911.
After arresting Roske, authorities recovered a Glock 17 pistol, ammunition, zip ties, pepper spray and a lock pick, among other items. Prosecutors brought many of the items to the courtroom Friday to show the judge.
Roske pleaded guilty to one count of assassinating a Supreme Court justice earlier this year.
Beyond the prison sentence, Roske must also forfeit the items seized from her luggage, which also included a thermal imaging monocular, tactical gloves and a crowbar and pay a standard $100 special assessment fee.
