Nicholas Roske, man accused of trying to kill Brett Kavanaugh, intends to plead guilty, court documents show
Nicholas Roske, a California man who was apprehended outside Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in 2022 with weapons, is now planning to plead guilty to a federal charge of attempting to assassinate a justice of the United States. Court documents obtained by CBS News have revealed this development in Roske’s case.
In a statement submitted by Roske’s defense attorney on Wednesday, it was stated that “Mr. Roske wishes to plead guilty to the one-count Indictment pending against him.” Despite initially pleading not guilty following his arrest, Roske has now decided to change his plea. A new plea hearing is anticipated to take place as soon as Monday in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The incident involving Roske occurred in June 2022 when he was found outside Kavanaugh’s Montgomery County, Maryland, residence armed with a gun, knife, and burglary tools, as per court records. Roske, who was 26 years old at the time of his arrest, hails from Simi Valley, California, and if convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
On June 8, 2022, U.S. deputy marshals observed an individual dressed in black attire carrying a backpack and suitcase alighting from a taxi in front of a current justice’s home around 1:05 a.m. The person then walked away upon noticing the marshals, prompting the marshals to contact the authorities. Subsequently, the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center received a call from Roske himself, expressing suicidal thoughts and disclosing the presence of a firearm in his suitcase. Roske indicated that he had traveled from California with the intention of killing a specific United States Supreme Court justice.
Law enforcement officers located Roske at the scene and took him into custody without any resistance. Upon searching his belongings, they discovered a range of weapons and tools, including a gun, knife, pepper spray, zip ties, and various other items. Roske later admitted to a detective that his actions were motivated by distress over recent events such as a leaked Supreme Court opinion on an abortion case, a school shooting in Texas, and an impending decision on a New York gun law.
Scott MacFarlane, CBS News’ Justice correspondent, reported on this case, shedding light on the details surrounding Roske’s arrest and subsequent plea agreement. With over two decades of experience covering Washington, MacFarlane’s investigative journalism has led to the enactment of five new laws, earning him numerous accolades including 20 Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards.
