Justice is supposed to be blind.
But some judges apparently see everything through the lens of woke politics.
And a judge used one excuse to give Brett Kavanaugh’s would-be assassin a slap on the wrist that left Jonathan Turley stunned.
Biden judge delivers shocking ruling in assassination attempt case
Nicholas Roske came armed with a pistol and a knife to Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home in June 2022.
He was upset by the leaked Dobbs decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to regulate abortion.
He told police officers he intended to kill Kavanaugh to give his life “purpose” and had researched how killing a justice could change Supreme Court decisions.
But United States District Judge Deborah Boardman of the District of Maryland – a Biden appointee – sentenced Roske to just over eight years in prison.
The federal sentencing guidelines recommended a minimum of 30 years.
Judge Boardman cited the fact that Roske now identifies as a transgender woman named “Sophie” as one of her reasons for the drastically reduced sentence.
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley called the ruling unprecedented during an appearance on Fox News’ “America Reports.”
“Well, it was quite a difference,” Turley told co-hosts Sandra Smith and John Roberts. “You know, the federal sentencing laws after a case called Booker are no longer binding on federal judges, but judges try to stay roughly in the same continent. This sentence seemed to come from a different planet.”
Turley couldn’t hide his disbelief at the judge’s reasoning.
“I mean, the minimum sentence recommended by the guidelines was 30 years. She was off by about 22 years and the rationale that she used raised more concerns,” Turley continued.
The judge’s bizarre explanation for letting an assassin off easy
Judge Boardman argued that Roske deserved leniency because he called police himself and has mental health issues.
But Turley pointed out the glaring problems with that logic.
“Like, one could understand that this person did call the police, ultimately. Obviously he has some mental issues,” Turley explained. “But this person also researched how killing a justice could change the outcome of cases and said that he was going to shoot for three, but how killing one might flip the balance of a Supreme Court.”
In online chats, Roske wrote “I’m gonna stop roe v wade from being overturned” and that he was going to “remove some people from the supreme court.”
According to prosecutors, Roske’s plan was to kill up to three conservative Supreme Court justices so that three liberal justices could be appointed in their place.
He researched the strategic impact of assassinating Supreme Court justices and had planned to target up to three of them to change the Court’s ideological balance.
This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment breakdown.
This was calculated political terrorism designed to alter the constitutional order through violence.
“This was a very premeditated act, so this is a very light sentence and then her rationale that he might need treatment for his gender transformation or procedures, is really quite unique,” Turley said.
The seasoned legal expert couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.
“And many of us were really scratching our heads, she was using that almost like it was a sentencing departure and that’s the first time I have ever seen that,” Turley added.
The dangerous precedent this sets for political violence
Here’s what Judge Boardman’s ruling really amounts to: identifying as transgender now serves as a get-out-of-jail-free card for would-be assassins.
Think about the message this sends to other unhinged leftists who might be planning violence against conservative Supreme Court justices.
All you have to do is claim you’re transgender and a Biden-appointed judge will cut your sentence by two-thirds.
This isn’t justice – it’s activist judging that puts politics above the rule of law.
Roske got close enough to Kavanaugh’s home to see the U.S. Marshals stationed outside – armed with everything needed to break in and kill a sitting justice.
Sure, he called 911 at the last minute, but that doesn’t erase months of planning and preparation to commit political murder.
Judge Boardman apparently thinks Roske’s transgender status deserves more consideration than the fact that he nearly pulled off the assassination of a Supreme Court justice.
The Biden administration has spent years pushing the narrative that transgender individuals are victims who deserve special consideration in every aspect of society.
Now we’re seeing that extend to the criminal justice system in the most dangerous way possible.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department would appeal the sentencing, which is exactly the right move.
“This was a very premeditated act, so this is a very light sentence,” Turley emphasized.
The Trump administration inherited a justice system corrupted by woke ideology, and cases like this show exactly why cleaning house was so necessary.
When judges start using gender identity as an excuse to go easy on would-be assassins, the entire system has lost its way.
¹ Harold Hutchison, “Jonathan Turley Flabbergasted By ‘Very Light’ Sentence For Brett Kavanaugh’s Would-Be Assassin,” Daily Caller News Foundation, October 6, 2025.
