A California man accused of trying to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in 2022 described himself as “actively suicidal” and said he was trying “do something positive before I die” by trying to kill the justice, according to court filings Friday.
The defendant, Nicholas Roske, also told investigators that he had been partially motivated by the disclosure of a draft opinion showing that the Supreme Court, with Kavanaugh in the majority, was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Defense lawyers for Roske released a bevy of new details about his arrest and interrogation as they urged a judge to block prosecutors from introducing much of the key evidence in the case. That evidence includes Roske’s statements to police and the FBI, as well as the fact that he carried two bags to Kavanaugh’s Maryland home containing a Glock pistol, a knife, zip-ties and pepper spray.
Roske’s trial is scheduled to begin June 9 .
The legal motions submitted to U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte argue that police lacked a warrant to search Roske’s belongings after they arrested him in the early morning hours of June 8, 2022. They also contend that Roske wasn’t given Miranda warnings before being questioned at the scene and that his statements weren’t voluntary because he was suffering from a mental health crisis while being interrogated at a police station in Bethesda.