Trial for Ryan Routh, man accused in Trump assassination try, pushed to September 2025

The trial for a person accused of trying to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in South Florida has been postponed till September 2025, a federal decide dominated this week.

Ryan Routh, 58, of Hawaii, is charged with the tried assassination of a significant presidential candidate, a criminal offense that carries a possible life sentence if convicted. Extra fees embrace assaulting a federal officer and three firearms violations.

US District Decide Aileen Cannon set the brand new trial date for September 8, 2025, pushing it again from its beforehand scheduled begin in February. Routh has pleaded not responsible.

Madness defence assessment

Routh’s attorneys requested a delay till December 2025, citing the necessity to assessment in depth proof, together with a whole bunch of hours of police physique digicam footage, surveillance movies, and information from 17 cellphones and quite a few different digital gadgets.

Decide Cannon agreed to a postponement however stated ready till December would represent an “extreme quantity” of time. She famous the seriousness of the allegations warranted further preparation however referred to as the September trial date an affordable compromise.

The decide additionally set early February deadlines for the protection to file discover of any madness defence or elevate issues about Routh’s psychological competency. Any visits to the positioning of the alleged assault should happen by the top of February.

Particulars of the alleged plot

Prosecutors allege Routh meticulously deliberate to kill Trump, aiming a rifle by means of shrubbery because the president-elect performed golf at his West Palm Seashore nation membership on September 15, 2024.

A Secret Service agent reportedly noticed Routh earlier than Trump got here into view. When confronted, Routh allegedly aimed his rifle on the agent, who opened fireplace. Routh dropped his weapon and fled the scene with out firing a shot, abandoning a be aware outlining his intentions, based on prosecutors.

Routh was arrested shortly afterward whereas driving on a close-by interstate. He stays held with out bail at a federal jail in Miami.

Second assassination try in two months

Routh’s arrest got here two months after Trump was shot and wounded within the ear throughout a marketing campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service acknowledged lapses in safety in that incident however stated its protocols prevented the potential Florida assault from succeeding.

If convicted, Routh faces a life sentence for the tried assassination cost and important further penalties for the associated offenses.

With inputs from companies