Federal judge gives eight-year sentence in Kavanaugh assassination attempt
A federal judge appointed by President Biden has sentenced the man who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to eight years in prison. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from conservatives who argue it is too lenient. The Department of Justice plans to appeal the ruling.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman sentenced Nicholas Roske, who now identifies as Sophie and goes by that name, to eight years in prison for attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The attempt occurred in June 2022, outside Kavanaugh's home in Maryland, in the weeks leading up to the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Prosecutors from the Department of Justice had sought a minimum of 30 years, while Roske's defense team requested eight years. Boardman described Roske's actions as 'reprehensible' but cited mitigating factors, including that Roske 'spontaneously confessed to and cooperated with police.' The judge also inquired whether Roske would be sent to a women's prison, amid Roske's transgender identity.
The sentence has sparked backlash from conservatives. Mike Davis, a conservative lawyer and former chief counsel for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, posted on X: 'Maryland U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman—a Biden appointee—is a national disgrace. She only sentenced to 8 years, instead of 30, someone who attempted to murder Justice Kavanaugh and his family in their home. Make no mistake: Today’s Democrats want conservatives killed.' Author M.A. Rothman called the sentence 'pathetic,' noting it was lighter than penalties for some tax crimes and criticizing it as turning the case into a 'trans acceptance story.' Others on social media demanded Boardman's removal from the bench.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the DOJ's intent to appeal. In a post on X, she stated: 'The attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was a disgusting attack against our entire judicial system by a profoundly disturbed individual. @TheJusticeDept will be appealing the woefully insufficient sentence imposed by the district court, which does not reflect the horrific facts of this case.'
Boardman, a former public defender, was appointed as a U.S. magistrate judge in Maryland in 2019 and elevated to district judge by President Biden in 2021, with Senate confirmation that year.