A man accused of attempting to assassinate the newly elected President donald trump The case near West Palm Beach won't be prosecuted until September 2025, a federal judge ruled this week in Fort Pierce.
U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon said in an order issued Monday that Ryan Roth's trial will begin on Sept. 8, 2025, instead of the previously scheduled Feb. 10, 2025.
Roth, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident, has pleaded not guilty.
Roth's lawyers had asked the judge to delay the hearing until next December, saying they needed more time to review the evidence against him and decide whether to plead an insanity defense.
Routh is in possession of 17 cellphones and numerous other electronic devices, and there are hundreds of hours of police body camera and surveillance video that have been provided to the defense, Routh's attorneys argued during a hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida, two weeks ago. Was.
In her order, Cannon said she wanted to err on the side of providing more time given the seriousness of the allegations, but that starting the trial before December would amount to too much. The September hearing date is not an “undue delay,” he said.
The judge said any insanity defense or any requests regarding Routh's mental competency must be made by early February. Any visit to the site of the assassination attempt must be made by the end of February.
Prosecutors say Routh planned to kill Trump for weeks before taking aim with a rifle among bushes while Trump was playing golf at his West Palm Beach Country Club on September 15, 2024. Before Trump appeared, Routh was seen by a Secret Service agent. Routh reportedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and run away without firing a shot. Prosecutors say he left a note describing his intentions.
A short time later, he was arrested while driving on a nearby interstate.
Routh's charge of attempting to assassinate a leading presidential candidate carries a possible life sentence if convicted. Other charges include assaulting a federal officer and three firearms counts. He is being held without bail in a federal prison in Miami.
Routh's arrest comes two months after Trump was shot and wounded in the ear in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has acknowledged failures leading up to that shooting, but said security worked as it should have to thwart a possible attack in Florida.