Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself
Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She did not rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case.
Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn't intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready.
In a June 29 letter to Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were 'a million miles apart' and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia.
'I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,' Routh wrote.
On Wednesday, the federal public defender's office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, claiming that 'the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.' Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team.
'It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,' the motion said.
The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.
Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.
Routh has another, unrelated hearing in Cannon's courtroom scheduled for Friday on the admissibility of certain evidence and testimony that can be used for the trial.
In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hundreds mourn Atlanta father of 20 killed outside Greyhound station
The Brief Hundreds of people showed up on Saturday to mourn the loss of D'Anthony Reaves, who was shot to death outside the Greyhound bus station on Forsyth Street on July 19. Saturday's service was filled with music—something fitting for Reaves, whose brother described him as a "dancing machine." Reaves' brother, Deoinetea Hightower, said the family plans to start a foundation in Reaves' name to help ensure all of his children are cared for—and to help fathers get off the streets and turn their lives around. ATLANTA - Hundreds of people showed up Saturday to mourn the loss of a man who had 12 biological children and eight stepchildren. What we know D'Anthony Reaves, who family members previously told FOX 5 claimed all 20 children as his own, was shot to death outside the Greyhound bus station on Forsyth Street on July 19. The line to get into the service at North Avenue Missionary Baptist Church stretched out the doors and into the parking lot, as mourners came to honor the late father. Ten of Reaves' children were able to attend the service. His family said the turnout showed just how loved and well-known their father and brother were in communities across Atlanta. "Seeing everybody come out as one big community was really nice, and we really appreciate all the extra support because we're gonna need it," said Sha'Miracle Brown, one of Reaves' daughters. Saturday's service was filled with music—something fitting for Reaves, whose brother described him as a "dancing machine." "I think dancing and singing was his safe space," said D'Ana Reaves, another one of Reaves' daughters. "Oh and his laugh, he would just go on and on." "My dad was like a crazy dancer, but I will always remember the music standpoint. Because some of us make music, all of us are musically inclined, some of us play instruments. So my dad passed that musical gene down to all of us," said Brown. "He loved his kids. You could ask anyone, any single person, and they would say we were his pride and joy. I don't think there's a room we could walk into that he did not mention us or our accomplishments or our accolades." What's next Reaves' brother, Deoinetea Hightower, said the family plans to start a foundation in Reaves' name to help ensure all of his children are cared for—and to help fathers get off the streets and turn their lives around. "We're fixing to open up the D'Anthony Reaves foundation so we'll be able to serve his kids so they'll be taken care of," Hightower said. "We got the Power for the Fathers represented for him as well, where we help the fathers get off the street and get their lives back together." The family also wants to see change at the State Capitol. "Greyhound? I'm working on trying to get them to stop their policy of letting guns be carried across state lines…and we want Governor Kemp to come on with the gun law, close it back. We don't need our young brothers with guns," Hightower said. The Source Information in this article came from FOX 5 crews attending the service, as well as past reporting by FOX 5's Eric Mock.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WATCH: President Donald Trump struggles to pronounce Tua Tagovailoa's name
Pronunciation guides are your friend. That's the lesson that President Donald Trump learned on Thursday when he was faced with the challenge of pronouncing Tua Tagovailoa's name. It wasn't particularly close from the commander-in-chief, who butchered the last name of the Miami Dolphins' quarterback. Take a look: Trump was announcing that he has reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test, which went away at the end of the 2012-13 school year. In doing so, the president also established a council that includes professional athletes, with Tagovailoa also being involved. 'Saquon Barkley is on the council, and Tua Tagovailoa [tag-oh-vah-lee-ah], the quarterback who is … really he's been fantastic, … when he's not injured," Trump said. "He's got to stay healthy,' Trump isn't the first – and likely won't be the last – to struggle with the pronunciation, but to his credit, the president battled through it. Like a classic politician, Trump quickly pivoted and turned the attention to the quarterback's health – making it seem as though he wasn't tripped up on the pronunciation. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WATCH: President Donald Trump butchers Tua Tagovailoa's name
Motor 1
24 minutes ago
- Motor 1
‘I'm Sorry, But That's Not My Fault:' Woman Drives in to Fuel Up Her Car. Then She Learns That She's Pumping Someone Else's Gas
A woman is going viral after sharing a gas station mix-up that left her feeling confused and frustrated. Is She the A-Hole? In a trending video, content creator Ashley Miller (@millerpartyof7) shared the strange encounter she just had at the gas station. 'Am I the [expletive]? A story time, if you will,' Miller said. Miller explained that she was distracted while talking to her son and started pumping gas without realizing the pump had already been activated. Moments later, the gas station attendant rushed outside and told her she was 'pumping somebody else's gas.' 'I'm just like confused,' she says. 'And he's not explaining it.' At first, she assumed her own payment had gone through. But, after thinking about it, she realized she never entered her gas card PIN—something required for the transaction to process. That's when she asked the employee a clarifying question: Had he accidentally applied someone else's prepayment to her pump? His response: 'Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.' By that point, she'd already pumped the full $20. The attendant told her she needed to come inside and pay for it. But she pushed back, arguing that the mix-up wasn't her fault. 'It was a total accident,' she says. 'You screwed up.' What Did She Do About the Money? She describes standing there for a moment, angry and unsure of what to do next. Then, she noticed a young man nearby leaning against his car, clearly waiting. She asked if he was the one who prepaid, and when he confirmed he probably was, she apologized and handed him $20 to cover the gas. 'He like didn't want to take my money,' she says. 'But I just—I'm not going to take $20 from you.' The situation resolved without further incident, but the woman still had questions. Was it her responsibility to fix a mistake made by the attendant? Should she have gone inside and paid the gas station directly, or was reimbursing the customer the right move? She says she felt bad about how things played out, but also feels like the attendant could've handled it differently. 'Am I the jerk here?' she asks at the end of the video. Whose Fault Is It? A gas station shared in a blog that once payment is registered for a pump, the transaction is considered complete, even if the customer never fueled up. As they put it, when someone pre-pays inside and forgets their pump, and then another person uses it, the second person is seen as the one who received the gas, and the station won't usually reset the transaction. A legal advice forum echoes this, stating that even if the attendant mistakenly assigns payment to the wrong pump, the person who actually fuels may still be held responsible for payment. Refusing to pay could be viewed as theft, regardless of where the error originated. Commenters React 'I don't think you are. You made it right with the boy and the employee shouldn't have treated you that way,' a top comment read. 'The employee completely mishandled the situation and should have accepted responsibility for his mistake, corrected it, and apologized,' a person said. 'He works in a gas station. Can't really expect him to use the queen's English and offer you tea and crumpets as an apology,' another wrote. Motor1 reached out to Miller for comment via email and TikTok direct message. Now Trending 'I Immediately Text Our Salesperson from the Dealership:' Woman Buys 2021 Ford Bronco. Then She Looks in the Glovebox 'I Want To See a Picture:' Woman Takes Her Chevrolet Trailblazer to the Dealership. Then They Say Rodents Voided Her Warranty Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
