The man implicated in an alleged assassination attempt on President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida golf course, Ryan Wesley Routh, will not face trial until September 2025, as determined by a federal judge on Monday.
This decision pushes the original trial date, initially set for February 10, 2025, further into the year.
According to The New York Post, US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously presided over and dismissed Trump's classified documents case, granted the delay at the request of Routh's defense team. The lawyers argued they needed additional time to scrutinize the evidence against Routh, including the contents of 17 cellphones and several other electronic devices owned by the accused, as they contemplate an insanity defense. The defense team has also been provided with hundreds of hours of police body camera footage and surveillance videos for review.
In her order, Judge Cannon concurred that the defense needed more time considering the severity of the allegations. She ruled that a September 2025 trial would not constitute an "unreasonable delay." The judge also mandated that Routh's lawyers must decide on the potential insanity defense by early February and complete any visits to the assassination attempt site by the end of that month.
Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii native, faces a potential life sentence if convicted of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate. Additional charges against him include assaulting a federal officer and firearms violations.
Prosecutors allege that Routh meticulously planned for weeks to assassinate Trump, who was 78 at the time, before traveling to West Palm Beach, Florida. He reportedly concealed himself in the bushes outside Trump International Golf Club on September 15, armed with a rifle, as the president-elect engaged in a round of golf.
A report from a House assassination task force released earlier this month revealed that a Secret Service agent spotted Routh and opened fire, but failed to hit him. Routh abandoned his rifle and fled the scene unscathed, only to be apprehended by local law enforcement on a Florida interstate approximately 40 minutes later.
This assassination attempt occurred two months after Trump was struck in the ear by a sniper's bullet during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The events underscore the persistent threats faced by political figures, even those championing traditional values and individual freedom, like Trump.
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