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A Biden-appointed federal judge handed down what can only be described as a disgracefully light sentence for the man who flew across the country with a gun, knives and burglary tools intent on murdering Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Judge Deborah Boardman — a nominee of President Joe Biden confirmed to the District Court in 2021 — gave Nicholas Roske just 97 months behind bars, a decision that will look to many Americans like a dangerous softening toward politically motivated violence.
The facts of the plot are chilling and straightforward: Roske traveled from California to the Washington area in June 2022 carrying a handgun, ammunition, zip ties, tools and other implements of forced entry, scoped out Justice Kavanaugh’s neighborhood and admitted the plan to use violence before ultimately calling 911. This was not a momentary lapse; it was a premeditated cross-country attempt to assassinate a justice of the United States, and the record is clear about the defendant’s preparations and intent.
Prosecutors asked for a sentence in the range of 30 years to life because this was an attempted assassination aimed at altering the composition and functioning of our highest court — an attack on the rule of law itself. Instead, Judge Boardman emphasized Roske’s lack of criminal history and the fact that he called for help, and imposed a sentence of eight years and one month, a gap that is stunning given the gravity of the crime.
Americans who believe in equal justice are rightly angry, and the Justice Department has signaled it will not let this stand without challenge; Attorney General Pamela Bondi publicly condemned the sentence and announced plans to appeal, calling the punishment insufficient. The message sent by letting premeditated political violence be met with what amounts to mercy is dangerous — it invites copycats and chips away at deterrence for attacks on public servants.
We should not be softened into complacency by claims of mental illness or identity struggles when the evidence shows meticulous planning and an expressed desire to kill multiple justices. The political context matters: Roske admitted he was enraged by the Court’s decisions and online messaging showed intent to change the court’s composition. Sympathy for the perpetrator must never outweigh the safety of our judiciary and the principle that political grievances are addressed at the ballot box, not with bullets.
This is a moment for Republicans, conservatives, and every defender of the Constitution to roar in defense of law and order. Demand the Department of Justice follow through on its appeal, pressure elected leaders to prioritize protections for judges, and insist that federal sentencing reflect the terrifying reality of politically motivated attacks. If we fail to push back now, we’ll see more brazen attempts to terrorize public servants who happen to rule against the favored progressive outcome of the day.
Hardworking Americans who cherish their liberties should be furious that a would-be assassin walked away with what amounts to a slap on the wrist relative to the scale of the crime. This isn’t mercy — it’s a warning: when the judiciary is vulnerable because the courts fear inadequate consequences, liberty itself is on the line.
