ORLANDO, Fla. — A person accused of trying to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in South Florida will not be tried till September 2025, a federal choose dominated this week.
Ryan Routh’s trial will start Sept. 8 as an alternative of the beforehand scheduled Feb. 10, 2025 begin date, U.S. District Decide Aileen Cannon stated in an order launched on Monday.
Routh, 58, a Hawaii resident, has pleaded not responsible.
Routh’s attorneys had requested the choose to delay the trial till no sooner than subsequent December, saying they wanted extra time to assessment the proof towards him and resolve whether or not to mount an madness protection.
Routh owned 17 cellphones and quite a few different digital units, and there are tons of of hours of police physique digicam and surveillance movies which have been offered to the protection, Routh’s attorneys argued throughout a listening to two weeks in the past in Fort Pierce, Florida.
In her order, Cannon stated she wished to err on the facet of offering extra time given the seriousness of the allegations, however that beginning the trial no sooner than December could be an extreme quantity. A September trial date did not quantity to an “unreasonable delay,” she stated.
The choose stated that any madness protection or any request associated to Routh’s psychological competency should be made by early February. Any go to to the scene of the assassination try should be made by the tip of February.
Prosecutors say Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks earlier than aiming a rifle by means of the shrubbery as Trump performed golf on Sept. 15, 2024 at his West Palm Seaside nation membership. Earlier than Trump got here into view, Routh was noticed by a Secret Service agent. Routh allegedly aimed his rifle on the agent, who opened hearth, inflicting Routh to drop his weapon and flee with out firing a shot. Prosecutors say he left behind a observe describing his intentions.
He was arrested a short while later driving on a close-by interstate.
Routh’s cost of tried assassination of a significant presidential candidate carries a possible life sentence within the occasion of a conviction. Different fees embrace assaulting a federal officer and three firearms counts. He’s being held with out bail on the federal jail in Miami.
Routh’s arrest got here two months after Trump was shot and wounded within the ear in an assassination try throughout a marketing campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service acknowledged failings main as much as that taking pictures however has stated safety labored because it ought to must thwart the potential Florida assault.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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