Trial date set for June for man accused of attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh – 104.5 WOKV

GREENBELT, Maryland — (AP) — The trial of a California man accused of attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his suburban Washington, D.C., home is scheduled to begin in June 2025.

U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte set the trial date for Nicholas John Roske during a hearing Tuesday in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, the first hearing in the case in nearly two years.

Roske, of Simi Valley, California, was arrested near Kavanaugh's home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, in June 2022. Roske was armed with a handgun and a knife, carrying zip ties and wearing black clothing when he arrived in the neighborhood by taxi shortly after 1 a.m., federal authorities said.

Roske, who was 26 when he was arrested, pleaded not guilty to attempting to assassinate a U.S. judge, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

After his arrest, Roske told a police detective he was upset about a leaked draft ruling suggesting the Supreme Court intended to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to an FBI agent's affidavit.

Killing one juror could change the court's decisions “for decades,” Roske wrote online, adding, according to authorities, “I'm aiming for three.”

The leaked draft of the opinion sparked protests, including outside the homes of several judges. Roske's arrest prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to approve a bill expanding 24/7 security protection for judges' families.

Roske also said he was angry about the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, and believed Kavanaugh would vote to loosen gun laws, the affidavit said.

Roske was arrested after calling 911 and telling a police dispatcher that he was near Kavanaugh's home and intended to commit suicide. Roske was discovered by two U.S. Marshals who were part of the judges' 24-hour security staff.

Roske, who is in custody in Baltimore, was led into the courtroom in handcuffs and shackles on Tuesday. He did not speak during the 20-minute hearing.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin on June 9. “Jury selection in this case may take a little longer,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Gavin said in court on Tuesday. The trial is expected to last about a week.

In a court filing last month, Gavin said prosecutors and defense attorneys had failed to agree on the terms of an “out-of-court resolution of this case,” such as a guilty plea agreement.

During a hearing in October 2022, Messitte said there was a “very high probability” that he would order a psychiatric evaluation of Roske to determine whether he was able to assist in his defense, enter a possible guilty plea, or stand trial.

Andrew Szekely, one of Roske's attorneys, said during Tuesday's hearing that the defense is not requesting a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of Roske.

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