Trial set for man accused of trying to kill Justice Kavanaugh

A federal judge scheduled a trial to start on June 9, 2025, for a California man charged with trying to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh over two years ago. 

Following the leaked court opinion on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that overturned abortion protections, then-26-year-old Nicholas Roske traveled to Washington, D.C., to kill Kavanaugh and conservative justices, prosecutors allege. 

 “I am shooting for three,” Roske had written online, according to authorities.

The leaked court opinion sparked protesters to gather outside the homes of the conservative justices, whose addresses were also leaked online. 

The 26-year-old substitute teacher also reportedly told authorities that the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting had influenced his decision to carry out an assassination attempt on Kavanaugh, for he believed Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun control laws. The Supreme Court was just days away from releasing a decision that expanded gun rights.

Roske took a taxi to Kavanaugh’s Chevy Chase, Maryland, home carrying a knife, a gun, and zip ties, authorities said. He arrived outside of Kavanaugh’s home sometime after 1 a.m.

Two U.S. marshals, part of a 24-hour security detail for the justices, spotted Roske, but he had also already dialed 911 and told them he wanted to take his own life.

Roske was arrested and charged with attempting to murder a justice of the United States, and he has pleaded not guilty. For the past year and a half, prosecutors and Roske’s defense attorneys have been going back and forth, bargaining a plea deal. Last month, prosecutors asked to move the case forward with a trial date. 

The trial is expected to take a week, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Gavin stated that “selecting a jury in this case may take a little longer.” 

If convicted, Roske faces life in prison.