California Man Arrested After Admitting He Wants to Kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh Over Roe v. Wade Decision

A California man planning to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh due to his leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was arrested on Wednesday.

According to Crime Online, Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, was arrested near Kavanaugh's home in Maryland after allegedly making threats against the judge.

The California man allegedly had a handgun with two magazines and ammunition, a tactical knife, pepper spray, zip ties, a nail punch, duct tape, a hammer, and a crowbar.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, two U.S. deputy marshals saw Roske get out of a taxicab that had stopped in front of Kavanaugh's home at around 1:05 a.m.

The California man was reportedly dressed in black clothing and carrying a backpack and a suitcase. Roske reportedly abandoned his plan to kill the Supreme Court justice after seeing the two marshals standing next to their parked vehicle.

NBC reported that he then walked down the street and called 911, claiming he was armed and homicidal. The Montgomery County Police Department officers arrived shortly and found Roske still on the phone.

Roske allegedly told the police that he traveled from California to Maryland "to kill a specific" Supreme Court Justice. The California man was reportedly frustrated about Kavanaugh's leaked draft opinion in overturning Roe v. Wade and the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

"Roske indicated that he believed the Justice that he intended to kill would side with Second Amendment decisions that would loosen gun control laws," an FBI affidavit said as CNN reported.

The affidavit added that the California man stated that he started thinking about how to give his life a purpose and decided that he would kill the Supreme Court Justice after breaking into his home.

Roske, who also reportedly planned to kill himself after killing Kavanaugh, appeared in a federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland on Wednesday, and he agreed to remain in jail.

According to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's office in the district of Maryland, it filed charges of "attempted murder of a Supreme Court Justice." If convicted, Roske will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 22.

Joe Biden Condemns Plan of California Man to Kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh

The White House said President Joe Biden condemned the actions of the California man arrested outside Brett Kavanaugh's home.

"President Biden condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody," White House spokesman Andre Bates told CNN.

Bates reiterated what Biden said that public officials, including judges, must perform their jobs without concern for their safety or their families.

He added that any violence or attempt to intimidate the justices "have no place in our society." Bates noted that Biden supported legislation "to fund increased security for the court and judges."

Also commenting on the incident, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the attacks and threats of violence against Supreme Court justices "strike at the heart of our democracy."

In a statement, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan noted that there had been heightened security at the homes of the justices since last month. He said they would continue to partner with law enforcement officials to help ensure these residents are secure.

Supreme Court's Opinion on Roe v. Wade

According to a draft majority opinion that leaked last month, the Supreme Court has voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that legalized abortion in the U.S.

The draft was reportedly written by Justice Samuel Alito, who said Roe must be overruled since it was "egregiously wrong from the start."

He added that it was "time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives." Brett Kavanaugh was among the other Republican-appointed justices that voted with Alito.

The Roe v. Wade case started in 1970 when "Jane Roe," an alias used to protect the plaintiff's identity, Norma McCorvey, instituted federal action against Henry Wade. According to Britannica, Wade was the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas, where Roe resided.

The Supreme Court disagreed with Roe's claims of an absolute right to terminate a pregnancy in any way and at any time. In January 1973, the high court ruled that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion was unconstitutional.

In May last year, the Supreme Court has agreed to review in its October 2021 term a lower court's decision to strike down the 2018 Mississippi state law that banned most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Armed Man Arrested Near Brett Kavanaugh's Home Charged With Attempted Murder - From CNN