Nicholas John Roske, the man who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, now identifies as a transgender woman named “Sophie Roske,” according to newly filed court documents. The revelation comes just months after Roske pleaded guilty to attempting to kill the justice outside his Maryland home in 2022. Federal prosecutors are seeking a 30-year prison sentence, citing the political motivation and grave threat to the U.S. judiciary.
Roske traveled from California to Kavanaugh’s home armed with a handgun, ammunition, zip ties, pepper spray, and burglary tools. He told investigators he planned to kill Kavanaugh in response to expected Supreme Court rulings on abortion and the Second Amendment. The attack was halted when Roske saw federal marshals outside the residence and called 911 to turn himself in.
The Department of Justice is treating the act as an ideologically driven threat to a federal official and a form of domestic terrorism. In court filings, prosecutors said Roske planned to kill at least three justices in hopes of changing the Court’s ideological balance. They argue that the seriousness of the crime and its premeditated nature merit the maximum sentence.
Defense attorneys have requested leniency, proposing an 8.5-year sentence. They argue that Roske suffered from mental illness, had suicidal intentions, and ultimately chose not to go through with the assassination. The defense also asked the court to refer to Roske using the name “Sophie” and female pronouns, though no legal name change has been filed. The official case name remains United States v. Nicholas John Roske.
Roske is scheduled for sentencing in October. If prosecutors prevail, the sentence would be among the longest ever issued for an attempted political assassination in recent U.S. history.
