Sophie Roske, a transgender woman, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for her 2022 plot to assassinate conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Prosecutors had sought a minimum sentence of 30 years.
Judge Deborah Boardman explained that Roske voluntarily abandoned her assassination plan, expressed remorse, had no prior criminal record, and was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Boardman also questioned whether Roske would receive adequate mental health treatment in prison, citing President Trump’s executive order banning gender-affirming care for federal inmates.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and conservative media outlets like the New York Post and National Review have expressed outrage over the 8-year sentence.
By their standards, the scores of January 6 rioters who breached the Capitol while chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” should have been sentenced to at least 30 years in prison. After all, they were domestic terrorists who attempted to execute the Vice President.
Instead, they have all been pardoned by President Trump.
In an interview with Jonathan Karl of ABC News, Trump defended the January 6 rioters’ “Hang Mike Pence!” chants.
Trump asserted: “Well, the people were very angry….It’s common sense, Jon. It’s common sense that you’re supposed to protect. How can you, if you know a vote is fraudulent, right, how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?”
How can anyone claim to oppose political violence while supporting a person who pardoned January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers and publicly defended their violent chants?
Terry Hansen
Milwaukee, WI