FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Jury selection is scheduled to commence on Monday for Ryan Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump while he was golfing in South Florida last year. The trial is expected to last four weeks, although legal representatives anticipate a shorter duration.
During the jury selection process, which is projected to take three days, attorneys will evaluate three groups of 60 potential jurors to finalize a panel of 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements are slated for Thursday, following which the prosecution will present its case.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted Routh’s request to represent himself, while ensuring that court-appointed attorneys remain available as standby counsel. Last week, Cannon clarified that Routh is required to wear professional attire during the trial, and outlined specific protocols regarding his interactions with the jury and witnesses.
The trial comes nearly one year after prosecutors allege a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s plan to shoot Trump. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and various firearm violations.
Two months prior to the incident involving Routh, Trump survived another assassination attempt while campaigning in Pennsylvania. An assailant had reportedly fired eight shots, one narrowly grazing Trump’s ear, before being neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
According to prosecutors, Routh meticulously planned the assault on Trump, targeting him as he played golf on September 15, 2024, at a West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent detected Routh before Trump came into view, prompting the agent to open fire when Routh aimed his rifle at him. Routh dropped his weapon and fled without discharging it.
Law enforcement utilized a witness’s testimony to track down Routh, who was later arrested on a nearby interstate after being identified by the observer via a police helicopter.
The judge recently unsealed a prosecutor’s exhibit list, which includes a 33-page document that specifies various pieces of evidence, including photographs of Routh with the same model of semi-automatic rifle that was located at Trump’s golf club.
Routh, a former construction worker from North Carolina, has a documented history of erratic behavior. He had moved to Hawaii in recent years and purportedly described himself as a mercenary leader. Witnesses claim that Routh openly discussed violent plans to engage in global conflicts.
During the onset of the Ukraine war, Routh reportedly attempted to recruit individuals from different countries, including Afghanistan and Moldova, to join the fight against Russian forces. His troubling past includes a 2002 incident in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he barricaded himself with a fully automatic machine gun after evading police during a traffic stop.
Routh’s criminal record also includes a 2010 police investigation into a warehouse he owned, where officers discovered over 100 stolen items, including construction tools and recreational equipment. In earlier felony cases, he received probation or suspended sentences.
In addition to the federal charges, Routh is facing state accusations of terrorism and attempted murder, to which he has also pleaded not guilty.
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