Man Charged with Trying to Kill Brett Kavanaugh Going to Trial

An armed man arrested outside Brett Kavanaugh’s home in 2022 and charged with trying to assassinate the Supreme Court justice will go to trial, court documents show.

Federal prosecutors sought a scheduling conference for a trial date in Maryland federal court, according to the documents filed Friday.

Nicholas John Roske, 28, of Simi Valley, California, initially told investigators that he traveled in June 2022 to Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to kill him.

According to an affidavit filed after his arrest, Roske said he had been upset by a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and believed Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun regulations.

A search revealed a Glock 17 handgun, ammunition, zip ties, crow bar, and other tactical gear, according to an affidavit.

Earlier this month, the parties told Judge Peter Messitte of the US District Court for the District of Maryland that they were working toward a plea agreement and sought until Friday to work one out.

The development comes as the number of substantiated threats against federal judges has climbed in recent years.

Shortly after Roske’s arrest, the Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022 (S. 4160) was signed into law, extending police protection for families of Supreme Court justices and for staff of the court where necessary.

And in April, a Florida man was sentenced to 14 months behind bars after pleading guilty to threatening to kill Chief Justice John Roberts in 2023.

Roske remains in custody.