Overview

• Sentencing is scheduled Friday in federal court after Nicholas Roske’s April guilty plea to attempting to murder a Supreme Court justice.
• Prosecutors request a 30-year term, citing meticulous planning, weapons purchases, and a stated intent to target up to three justices.
• Defense attorneys seek roughly eight years, highlighting severe depression, Roske’s 911 call that halted the plot, and arguing internet searches do not prove broader intent.
• Filings note Roske asked to be referred to as Sophie with female pronouns, and family letters press for leniency citing mental health and transgender-related concerns about incarceration.
• The Justice Department says a lengthy sentence is necessary to protect judges and deter ideologically motivated threats following a rise in menacing messages to justices.