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(NewsNation) — Ryan Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump connected his Florida play people past year, began proceedings this week representing himself against respective national transgression charges.
His proceedings comes astir precisely a twelvemonth aft prosecutors accidental a U.S. Secret Service cause intercepted Routh’s effort to sprout Trump, who was campaigning for the presidency astatine the time.
The proceedings opened Monday with assemblage selection, wherever some sides questioned prospective jurors.
Routh asked imaginable assemblage members astir their views connected the warfare successful Gaza and thoughts connected the U.S. acquiring Greenland, but Cannon said those questions were irrelevant. The alleged plotter besides wanted to inquire jurors what they would bash if they were driving and saw a turtle successful the road.
While U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon allowed Routh to beryllium his ain attorney, court-appointed attorneys person been ordered to stay arsenic standby counsel.
He wore a grey sports coat, reddish necktie with achromatic stripes and khaki slacks and was partially shackled astatine the defence table.
Leading up to the trial, Routh, 59, has submitted respective bizarre pretrial filings, including a question wherever helium threatened Trump and challenged him to a circular of play for the Oval Office.
In the profanity-laced motion, helium wrote that “a beatdown league would beryllium much amusive and entertaining for everyone.”
What is Ryan Routh accused of?
Routh is accused of staking retired Trump connected September 15, 2024, for 12 hours connected his play people successful West Palm Beach. He was allegedly hiding successful a histrion line.
Authorities said a Secret Service cause conducting a perimeter information expanse saw Routh successful the brushwood on the obstruction enactment adjacent the sixth hole.
FILE - In this representation released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff's Office, instrumentality enforcement officers apprehension Ryan Wesley Routh, a antheral suspected successful an evident assassination effort of Donald Trump, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)Routh allegedly ran disconnected aft a Secret Service cause fired astatine him. The Justice Department says Routh was pointing a firearm astatine the agent, but ran without firing a changeable back.
He was aboriginal arrested aft being identified by a witnesser who said they saw him moving from the scene, authorities said.
The indictment stated that a witnesser contacted instrumentality enforcement, saying Routh had dropped disconnected a container astatine his location respective months anterior to the attempted shooting.
Included successful the container was a handwritten missive from Routh addressed “Dear world,” which stated, among different things, “This was an assassination effort connected Donald Trump but I americium truthful atrocious I failed you.”
What are the charges against Ryan Routh?
Routh was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, possession of a firearm successful furtherance of a transgression of violence, assaulting a national serviceman and attempted assassination of a large statesmanlike candidate.
Routh has pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, helium faces a maximum condemnation of beingness successful prison.
Ryan Routh represents himself successful assassination effort trial
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh’s petition to correspond himself during his trial, provided nationalist defenders volition stay connected standby.
Cannon told Routh she believes it’s a atrocious thought for Routh to correspond himself, but helium remained steadfast successful his decision.
Routh opted to beryllium his ain lawyer aft a bid of rifts with nationalist defenders. He requested a caller defence squad for his lawsuit successful July aft his court-appointed national nationalist defenders had asked to beryllium taken disconnected the case, saying helium had refused repeated attempts to conscionable with their team.
Routh told the tribunal helium completed 2 years of assemblage aft earning his GED certificate.
Judge imposed strict rules connected Ryan Routh
The justice said Routh indispensable beryllium dressed successful nonrecreational concern attire for the trial. She besides explained to the alleged shooter that helium would beryllium allowed to usage a podium portion speaking to the assemblage oregon questioning witnesses, but helium would not beryllium allowed to roam astir the courtroom.
“If you marque immoderate abrupt movements, marshals volition instrumentality decisive and speedy enactment to respond,” Cannon said during a proceeding connected tribunal behaviour anterior to the trial.
Cannon is simply a erstwhile national authoritative who was nominated to the seat by Trump successful 2020.
FILE - Ryan Wesley Routh takes portion successful a rally successful cardinal Kyiv, Ukraine, April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)Who does Routh privation to telephone to the stand?
Routh has named respective witnesses helium would similar to telephone successful his case, including Trump himself.
The tribunal had already approved 4 quality witnesses for Routh, but helium requested respective more, including a erstwhile romanticist partner, to attest connected his gentleness.
Connon rejected his petition to telephone Trump and his erstwhile partner.
Routh besides wanted to question respective Harvard professors who helium believes could attest that his actions were justified, but Cannon antecedently ruled that she would not let Routh to usage a justification defense.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
