FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Trial begins for the man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump in 2024 at a Florida golf course.
What You Need To Know
Ryan Routh is on trial for allegedly attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024
Routh is representing himself in the trial, which is set to last three weeks
Jury selection is expected to last three days with opening statements on Thursday
More than 30 pages of exhibits will be presented, including a rifle and security footage
Ryan Routh will be in federal court not only as the defendant, but he will also represent himself in the trial.
On Monday morning, the first pool of potential jurors arrives at court. The goal is to question 60 people a day until they find the 12 jurors and 4 alternates to fill the fair and impartial jury.
Prosecutors will try to prove to those jurors Routh planned to kill then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and pointed a rifle through the fence as he played golf before the attempt was stopped by the Secret Service.
“(Routh) is going to have a unique opportunity to select the people who are going to be judging him,” said Roger Handberg, a former prosecutor for the Middle District of Florida and currently a shareholder at Gray Robinson.
FILE – In this imaged released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officers arrest Ryan Routh, the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump,Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)
Handberg said self-representation at the federal level is uncommon but not unheard of.
“I have been in those hearings, and will tell you, I think every federal judge tells the defendant who wants to do that the exact same thing, which is, ‘please don’t do this,’ and they try to explain all the reasons why that is maybe not the best choice for them,” Handberg said.
There will be attorneys on standby to take over if requested by Routh or the judge.
“It is tough. It is like being a relief pitcher in baseball. You don’t know if you are going to pitch that day or not, and if you pitch, you may not have a lot of notice,” Handberg said.
The jury selection process is expected to last 3 days, with opening statements likely to start on Thursday and then continue for what could be a three-week trial.
There are more than 30 pages of exhibits that include everything from the semi-automatic rifle, text messages, pictures, internet search history and security camera footage.
“I would be surprised if it takes three weeks. I think they are going to be meticulous. I don’t expect they are going to call all 46 witnesses,” Handberg said.
Most of the government’s witnesses include law enforcement. For Routh’s defense, he wanted 24 witnesses, but the judge denied most of the requests for being irrelevant to the case.
