Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed during a Senate hearing that Nicholas Roske, the man convicted of attempting to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022, will not be housed in a women’s prison. Bondi rejected concerns raised by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), stating, “That’s not going to happen in the Bureau of Prisons now.” The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced it will appeal Roske’s eight-year sentence, which was imposed by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman.
Roske, who was arrested in June 2022 near Kavanaugh’s home while armed and allegedly planning to kill him over abortion-related views, had claimed a transgender identity after his arrest. Boardman, a Biden appointee, considered this during sentencing, noting Roske’s request for cross-sex hormones under former President Donald J. Trump’s policies. The judge referred to Roske using female pronouns but did not formally update legal records to reflect the identity shift.
Cruz questioned Bondi about whether Boardman intended to place Roske in a women’s facility, prompting her firm denial. The DOJ criticized the sentence as “diminutive,” signaling its intent to challenge the ruling. Recent reports indicate up to 15% of inmates in federal women’s prisons are men who identify as transgender, with allegations of safety risks for female prisoners.
Roske had previously considered targeting other Supreme Court justices, according to court documents. The case has reignited debates over prison policies and judicial discretion.
