Nicholas Roske's relatives are asking a federal judge to consider gender identity issues when sentencing the would-be assassin.
Family members of the man who attempted to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh are urging lenient sentencing based on his transgender identity struggles. The Daily Caller reported that Roske's defense attorneys revealed he now uses female pronouns and goes by the name "Sophie."
The government seeks a 30-year prison sentence for Roske, who pleaded guilty in April to attempting to assassinate Kavanaugh. Judge Deborah Boardman, a Biden appointee, will decide his fate during Friday's scheduled sentencing hearing.
Roske's mother discovered a hospital discharge paper with the name "Sophie Roske" in his suitcase after his incarceration. She told the judge this revelation helped several pieces of the puzzle come together regarding her child's behavior.
The family argues that Roske's undisclosed gender identity struggles contributed to his mental state during the assassination attempt. His mother, sister, and Roske himself suggest he should bear less responsibility because he was still "in the closet" in 2022.
Roske explained in a letter to the judge that he was raised by conservative Christian parents who loved him. He noted that his upbringing created additional pressure regarding his gender identity questions and mental health struggles.
Roske was receiving therapy and taking medication before the COVID-19 pandemic, but stopped treatment when sessions moved to virtual formats. He told his sister about questioning his gender identity, but kept this information from his parents due to their conservative views.
The defendant wrote that his self-esteem reached rock bottom when the Dobbs decision draft leaked, coinciding with two years without therapy or medication. He claimed the idea of committing violence would never have occurred to him if he had not been suicidal.
Roske's father noted that his child struggled during COVID and abandoned plans for a master's program when classes went virtual. The family described erratic behavior, including sudden moves to communal living spaces and eventually to Seattle, before returning home.
Court records show Roske was using the name "Sophie42#6535" on Discord in 2022, where he shared mental health struggles and questioned hypothetical scenarios about Supreme Court justices dying. His Google searches included "Nietzsche quotes" and "nothing is true, everything is permitted," according to court documents.
Friends told the judge that Roske began embracing nihilistic worldviews and questioning his evangelical upbringing during this period. A friend named John wrote that both he and Roske had to confront what they viewed as hypocrisy in the American church.
John emphasized what Roske did not do rather than his actual actions, describing his self-restraint as indicative of someone picking up moral pieces. The friend expressed deep empathy for what drove Roske to attempt the assassination while noting his ultimate decision to call the police.
Roske's sister, who identifies as gay, told the judge their parents have grown in acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community over recent years. She noted their parents now attend PFLAG support meetings and have demonstrated growth in their relationship with her.
The sister expressed concern that Roske would be housed in a men's prison with limited access to gender-affirming care. She observed that while transgenderism differs from gay identity, her parents' acceptance mindset has transferred to their relationship with Sophie.
Roske wrote that his whole perspective shifted when he actually arrived in Kavanaugh's neighborhood on June 8, 2022, realizing that judges and politicians are real people. He called 911 from outside Kavanaugh's home, telling the dispatcher he had a firearm and planned to kill himself, and noted he is now out to his entire family with their acceptance.