Ryan Routh, the person accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump final yr at his South Florida golf course, is ready to go on trial in federal court docket on Sept. 8.
In September 2024, Routh, 59, allegedly entered the grounds of Trump Worldwide Golf Membership in West Palm Seashore, Florida, armed with a semiautomatic rifle. Prosecutors allege that Routh pointed the rifle barrel at a U.S. Secret Service agent whereas concentrating on Trump, who was then the Republican presidential candidate.
Routh has pleaded not responsible to a number of costs, together with trying to assassinate a significant presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and a number of firearm violations.
Right here’s what to know in regards to the trial of the suspect within the second Trump assassination try, set to start on Sept. 8.
Routh Will Signify Himself
U.S. District Choose Aileen Cannon, the identical choose who presided over and tossed out Trump’s categorised paperwork case final yr, can be dealing with Routh’s case in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Cannon approved Routh’s request to symbolize himself at trial throughout a listening to in July.
Routh requested to symbolize himself at trial in a June 29 letter to Cannon, claiming that he and his attorneys are “one million miles aside” and that they refused to reply his questions. He additionally floated the concept of being utilized in a prisoner trade with Iran, China, North Korea, or Russia.
“I may die being of some use and save all this court docket mess, however nobody acts; maybe you’ve got the ability to commerce me away,” Routh wrote.
The suspect’s protection counsel, together with lawyer Kristy Militello, filed a movement on July 23 to terminate illustration, saying her “attorney-client relationship” with Routh was “irreconcilably damaged.”
Cannon informed the protection attorneys that they need to stay as standby counsel.
Routh Given Clear Directions on Court docket Conduct
Throughout a listening to on Sept. 2, Cannon informed Routh that he can not make any sudden actions whereas representing himself at trial. Whereas he shall be allowed to make use of a podium whereas questioning witnesses or chatting with the jury, he is not going to have free rein within the courtroom, Cannon stated.
“For those who make any sudden actions, marshals will take decisive and fast motion to reply,” Cannon stated.
The choose additionally stated that Routh shall be wearing skilled enterprise apparel at some stage in the trial.
Week one of many trial will start with jury choice, which is predicted to final three days, throughout which attorneys will query three units of 60 potential jurors. Twelve jurors and 4 alternates have to be discovered earlier than the trial begins. Opening statements will start on Sept. 11, with prosecutors slated to start out presenting their proof afterward.
Whereas the court docket has designated 4 weeks for the trial, attorneys anticipate it to finish sooner.
Protection, Prosecution Plans for Trial
In a court filing forward of a Sept. 2 listening to, Routh stated he wished to subpoena Trump himself, whereas suggesting a “beatdown session can be extra enjoyable and entertaining for everybody.” He additionally used an inventory of insults for Trump, calling the president a “baboon.”
Routh requested Cannon subpoena “each single person who had one thing unfavourable to say about Ryan Routh” in one other filing on the identical day.
“Please put them on the stand underneath oath and lets see who lies, themor [sic] the FBI,” Routh wrote.
In response, Cannon denied Routh’s new witness requests after approving 4 beforehand, and stated nothing the defendant has written suggests a “subpoena to President Trump can be related or needed to organize an satisfactory protection.” Routh additionally tried to subpoena a former lover, alleging her romantic expertise with him “evidences his purported peacefulness, gentleness, and nonviolence.”
Cannon referred to the request as a “farce to result in clearly ludicrous and absurd ends in a court docket continuing.”
The choose on Sept. 2 additionally unsealed the prosecution’s 33-page listing of displays, which can be launched as proof throughout Routh’s trial. The listing says that prosecutors possess images of Routh holding the identical mannequin of semiautomatic rifle that was discovered at Trump’s golf membership in September 2024, when the assassination try occurred.
The listing additionally incorporates digital messages despatched from a cellphone that regulation enforcement present in Routh’s automobile on the day of the try. In one which was dated two months previous to his arrest, Routh allegedly requests a “missile launcher.” The doc additionally accuses Routh of sending a message in August 2024 looking for “assist guaranteeing that [Trump] doesn’t get elected.”
In that message, Routh allegedly provided to pay an unnamed particular person to trace the situation of Trump’s airplane with flight monitoring apps.
The exhibit listing additionally references a message about an digital “chat about sniper concealment” throughout the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and web searches for a way lengthy gunpowder sticks to clothes and for responses by the U.S. Secret Service to assassination plots.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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