The man who allegedly planned the assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh over the leaked overturn of Roe v. Wade has pleaded not guilty in federal court.
Earlier this month, police arrested California resident Nicholas John Roske, 26, near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Maryland on Wednesday after he had allegedly traveled there to murder the sitting judge to protect Roe v. Wade.
“A California man carrying at least one weapon near Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Maryland home has been taken into custody by police after telling officers he wanted to kill the Supreme Court justice,” reported the Washington Post at the time.
“Two people familiar with the investigation said the initial evidence indicates the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling that the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade,” continued the Post.
Police and court documents say that Roske had in his possession a Glock-17 pistol, a tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, and a crowbar.
During his arraignment in a Maryland federal court on Wednesday, Roske reportedly gave “quick and clear” answers to the questions posed to him regarding the charges as he bowed his head and pleaded not guilty.
Shortly after Roske’s arrest, the White House said that President Joe Biden “condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms, and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody.”
The statement said:
As the President has consistently made clear, public officials — including judges — must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety or that of their families. And any violence, threats of violence, or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society. He has said that himself, and his spokespeople have been forceful about this from the podium.
As the Supreme Court reportedly stands on the precipice of overturning Roe v. Wade, radical pro-abortion group Jane’s Revenge, threatened acts of domestic terrorism against pro-life pregnancy centers throughout the country.
“From here forward, any anti-choice group who closes their doors, and stops operating will no longer be a target. But until you do, it’s open season, and we know where your operations are. The infrastructure of the enslavers will not survive. We will never stop, back down, slow down, or retreat,” the group said in an open letter.