Photo: Adobe Stock
A 26-year-old man has been indicted by a federal grand jury and faces one count of attempted murder of associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), Justice Brett Kavanaugh, according to a report from The Guardian.
The Guardian further reported that the man indicted by the jury this week is Nicholas John Roske, who allegedly called the emergency communications center in Montgomery County, near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s residence, to confess his intent to kill the associate justice.
The U.S. House passed a bill on Tuesday allowing for 24-hour security for the justices and their families in a vote of 396-27, of which all dissenting votes were cast by Democrats, according to Fox News.
Previously, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release in May stating that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was working with the DOJ to increase security for the Supreme Court justices. This followed a series of death threats made toward the judiciary in the wake of a leaked draft opinion from the court that suggests SCOTUS is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Additionally, pro-abortion advocates have repeatedly staged protests in the neighborhoods of the Supreme Court justices’ private residences. The Washington Post reported that, according to Title 18, Section 1507 of the U.S. Code, protesting at the residence of a judge to influence their decision in a case is illegal, although experts differ in their opinions on the legality of the demonstrations.
RSBN previously reported that Garland called the uptick in threats against the Supreme Court justices “dangerous” to U.S. democracy and further warned that the DOJ would not “tolerate violence or threats of violence against judges or any other public servants at work, home, or any other location.”
According to a CBS News report, Roske allegedly traveled from California to Maryland with a firearm and ammunition, arriving by taxi at Justice Kavanaugh’s private residence, before reportedly calling the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center and turning himself in.
If Roske is convicted, he could face a life sentence.
