Ryan Routh, a man accused of trying to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in South Florida, will not be tried until September 8, 2025, a federal judge ruled this week. Routh, 58, from Hawaii, faces charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a potential life sentence if convicted. Other charges include assaulting a federal officer and firearms violations.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon accommodated the trial delay sought by Routh’s defense lawyers to provide more preparation time. Routh originally had his case set for a February 2025 trial. His lawyers filed motions seeking a delay, this is based on vast evidence such as hundreds of hours of body camera, surveillance videos, and thousands of pages from 17 cellphones and other devices. The judge agreed upon additional preparation time but maintained that a new September start date for the trial wasn’t unreasonable.
The trial judge even instructed the defense counsel that he would need early February deadlines for notice on insanity and competency issues for defense and that the site visitations at the scene where Routh allegedly committed this offense must be conducted and reported to the court before the end of February.
The charges follow an incident on September 15, 2024, in which Routh allegedly tried to shoot Trump as the president-elect played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Prosecutors claim Routh had planned the attack carefully, aiming a rifle through shrubbery. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view, and when confronted, Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who fired back. Routh ran off without firing a shot, leaving behind a note stating his intentions.
Routh was arrested later that day while driving on a highway in the area and is being held without bail at a federal facility in Miami.
This is the second attack on Trump, after he was shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania two months ago. The Secret Service said that there were security lapses in that incident but credited its protocols for preventing the Florida attack.
Routh faces a life sentence if convicted of the attempted assassination charge and more time for the other crimes he is charged with.
