Suspect in Fatal Shooting at Home of Judge Esther Salas Described Himself as 'Anti-Feminist' Lawyer, Once Argued Case Before the Judge

Details have emerged about Roy Den Hollander, the suspect in the fatal shooting at a judge's home of Judge Esther Salas. On Sunday, the judge's house was shot at, which injured her husband and killed her 20-year-old son, following her being assigned a case involving the late Jeffrey Epstein. The following day, Den Hollander was found dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On Den Hollander's website, he described himself as an "anti-feminist" lawyer and a defender of "men's rights." As CNN noted, his writings were filled with misogynist and racist rhetoric.
Hollander had previously filed lawsuits against several bars and night clubs who offered "ladies' nights" specials, claiming they were a violation of the 14th Amendment. He also filed suits against the federal government over the Violence Against Women Act, which he referred to as the "Female Fraud Act." He also filed a lawsuit against Columbia University for their women's studies program.

Den Hollander had also previously argued a case before Salas. Federal court records indicate that it was a lawsuit where he represented a woman and her daughter who were seeking to register for selective service in the U.S. military. His clients claimed the draft was unconstitutional because it barred women from registering. The case did end up raising some complex legal questions about the treatment of women in the military. Salas only sided with part of his arguments, however, though she agreed with some, so the lawsuit is currently unresolved.

On Den Hollander's website, he wrote disparaging remarks about the judge, including both racist and sexist terms. He also claimed he often ran into trouble with other female Latinx judges, believing that they were "driven by an inferiority complex." Additionally, he attacked Salas' professional record as well as her associations. He also appeared to push a well-known white nationalist conspiracy talking point that organizations are "trying to convince America that whites, especially white males, were barbarians, and all those of a darker skin complexion were victims."

Following his "ladies' nights" lawsuits, which were filed back in 2007 and failed to make it to the Supreme Court, Den Hollander was featured in reports in both The New York Times and The New Yorker, even making a guest appearance on The Colbert Report. "The feminists have taken control over every institution in this country — they want to take control over men," he told the Times in 2011. "I'm going to fight them to my last dollar, last breath."