(Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
In early June 2022, in the wake of the unprecedented leak of a draft of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs opinion, Nicholas Roske, a California man in his mid-20s, was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Maryland home. Roske, who was reportedly angry about the Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, was found with a gun, a knife, zip ties, and burglary tools, and allegedly told police that he wanted to kill Kavanaugh, one of the Court’s conservative justices. Later that month, when the Court’s official decision was released, it was revealed that Kavanaugh had joined the 6-3 majority opinion to declare that there is no longer a constitutional right to abortion.
Roske was charged with one count of attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice. More than two years later, a trial date has finally been set. The Hill has additional details:
After Roske engaged in plea negotiations for more than a year and a half, prosecutors indicated last month they had been unable to reach an agreement and asked to move the case ahead.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte convened the parties Tuesday for a scheduling conference, where he set the June 9 trial date.
The newly set timeline means Roske’s trial will take place three years after the incident. Prosecutors indicated they expect the trial will last about a week.
Roske is represented by public defenders, one of whom told reporters that he “[does] not anticipate lengthy motion practice” in the case. Stay tuned for June 2025, when Roske’s case heads to trial.
June trial set for man accused of trying to assassinate Kavanaugh [The Hill]
Earlier: Nobody Saw The Brett Kavanaugh Death Threat Thing Coming?
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.