Ryan Routh found guilty on all counts in Trump golf course assassination attempt

Ryan Routh found guilty on all counts in Trump golf course assassination attempt

REPORT, HERE IS TOM LLAMAS. >> BREAKING NEWS OUT OF ORDER AS A FEDERAL JURY WITH A GUILTY VERDICT IN THE CHILD — TRIAL OF RYAN ROUTH, THE MAN ACCUSED OF TRYING TO ASSASSINATE DONALD TRUMP ON HIS FOR THE GOLF COURSE LAST SEPTEMBER AND THE JURY FOUND HIM GUILTY ON ALL FIVE COUNTS AFTER DELIBERATING FOR OVER TWO HOURS, THOSE CHARGES INCLUDE ATTEMPTING TO ASSASSINATE A MAJOR LICENSE CANDIDATE, ASSAULTING A OFFICER, AND SEVERAL FIREARM VIOLATIONS, HE PLEADED NOT GUILTY AND FACES THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE IN PRISON AND CHOSE TO DEFEND HIMSELF. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WEEKS AFTER THE UNRELATED ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE INTENDED DONALD TRUMP AT A CAMPAIGN RALLY IN BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA. LET’S GO STRAIGHT TO AARON GILCHRIST OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE IN FT. PIERCE, FLORIDA. THE EVIDENCE WAS OVERWHELMING IN THIS CASE. >> Reporter: HUNDREDS OF PIECES OF EVIDENCE PRESENTED BY THE PROSECUTION IN FT. PIERCE, FLORIDA AND THAT WAS EVIDENCE THE JURY THOUGHT CORROBORATED THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST RYAN ROUTH , AND OFF THEY FOUND HIM GUILTY ON ALL FIVE CHARGES AGAINST HIM. IF WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THE CHARGES, THE MOST SERIOUS CHARGE WAS ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF A MAJOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, THEN CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP WAS GOLFING AT HIS GOLF COURSE IN WEST PALM BEACH ON SEPTEMBER 15th OF LAST YEAR WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AND THE SECOND CHARGE OF POSSESSION OF A FIREARM IN FURTHERANCE OF A CRIME OF VIOLENCE WITH THE ACCUSATION THAT HE HAD A SEMI AUTOMATIC RIFLE, SKS RIFLE AND THE TREE LINE OUTSIDE OF THE DONALD TRUMP GOLF COURSE AND THE THIRD CHART WAS ASSAULTING A FEDERAL OFFICER IN REFERENCE TO THE SECRET SERVICE OFFICER, AGENT, WHO SPOTTED HIM AND THE RIFLE IN THE TREE LINE POINTED THROUGH A FENCE AND THE PROSECUTION SAID THAT BY IMPEDING IN THAT OFFICER’S ABILITY TO DO HIS JOB, THAT WAS TANTAMOUNT TO ASSAULTING A FEDERAL OFFICER AND THE FOURTH CHARGE WAS FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION, ROUTH WAS CONVICTED OF FELONIES IN NORTH CAROLINA SEVERAL YEARS BACK AND THE FIFTH CHARGE WAS POSSESSION OF A FIREARM WITH AN OBLITERATED SERIAL NUMBER, IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, PROSECUTORS SAY THE SERIAL NUMBER ON THE RIFLE HAD BEEN POUNDED OUT OR SCRATCHED THROUGH , OBLITERATED AND THE JURY BELIEVED ALL FIVE WERE TRUE IN OFFERING THIS GUILTY VERDICT ON ALL FIVE CHARGES. ROUTH PRESENTED A 55 MINUTE CLOSING ARGUMENT IN FRONT OF THE JURY , ONE THAT WAS DISJOINTED AND RAMBLING AT POINTS, REPETITIVE AS WELL. DURING THE ARGUMENT, HE TRIED TO MAKE THE CASE THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY AND THE CHARACTER TO KILL AND HE DID NOT HAVE THE INTENT TO KILL AND THEREFORE COULD NOT BE FOUND GUILTY OF THAT ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION CHARGE. HE SAID, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE COLD HARD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, IS THAT INTENT? HARD TO BELIEVE THE CRIME WAS THERE IF THE TRIGGER WAS NEVER POLLED. HE WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE TO THE JURY THEY SHOULD FIND HIM NOT GUILTY. THE PROSECUTION PRESENTED 38 WITNESSES OVER EIGHT DAYS WITH EVIDENCE ABOUT DNA HAVING BEEN FOUNDED ON PARTS OF THE WEAPON THE FINGERPRINTS HAVING BEEN FOUND ON PARTS OF THE WEAPON, THEY WENT BACK THROUGH CELL PHONE RECORDS AND SAID THAT RYAN ROUTH WAS OBSESSED WITH TRYING TO KILL DONALD TRUMP. REFERENCING 17 OCCASIONS WHEN HE DID SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE OF THE GOLF CLUB , ALL THAT EVIDENCE IS SOMETHING THE JURY THOUGHT WAS CREDIBLE, FINDING HIM GUILTY ON ALL FIVE CHARGES. >> I WANT TO BRING IN OUR NATIONAL LAW INFORMANTS CORRESPONDENCE AND A DEFENSE ATTORNEY WHO IS A LEGAL ANALYST FOR NBC NEWS. THIS — ASIDE FROM DEFENDING HIMSELF IN COURT, THE EVIDENCE WAS OVERWHELMING IN THIS CASE, INCLUDING A CONFESSION LETTER, INCLUDING THE WEAPON HE USED IT TO FIRE ON THE PRESIDENT, IT HAD EVERYTHING INCLUDING EYEWITNESSES. >> ELECTRONICS, DIGITAL TRAIL, WITNESS WHO GOT THE LICENSE PLATE AND MAKE OF THE CAR, TOOK A VIDEO OF THAT, THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE POINTING BACK TO ROUTH . IT WAS AN UPHILL BATTLE FOR THE DEFENDANT, EVEN IF THERE WAS AN ATTORNEY REPRESENTING HIM. REPRESENTING YOURSELF IS A VERY DIFFICULT HURDLE, THE OLD ADAGE, THE PERSON THAT REFERENCES THEMSELVES HAS A FOOL FOR A CLIENT. FROM A PROSECUTOR’S PERSPECTIVE, A NIGHTMARE, BECAUSE YOU ARE DEALING WITH ARGUMENTS THAT ARE NOT EMBEDDED IN THE LAW, HE WAS REPRESENTING HIMSELF AND CROSS- EXAMINING WITH THIS AND MAKING STATEMENTS NOT EVIDENCE BUT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE AND THE JURY WILL HEAR THEM. OF COURSE, POTENTIAL APPELLATE ISSUES GIVEN THAT EVERY EVIDENTIARY DECISION WOULD BE UNDER SCRUTINY, BUT WITH SOMEONE REPRESENTING THEMSELVES , THE EXTRA LEVEL RELATING TO THE DEFENDANT’S RIGHTS

Ryan Routh has been found guilty on all counts of attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump on his golf course in Florida. NBC News’ Aaron Gilchrist reports on the verdict, Routh’s decision to represent himself and the jury only needing a little more than two hours to deliberate.

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