OAN Staff Avril Elfie
6:37pm – Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Lawyers for Ryan Routh, who was charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, are reportedly considering an insanity defense.
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On Wednesday, Routh appeared in federal court for a hearing before federal Judge Eileen Cannon.
Mr. Routh's attorneys said mental health professionals met with him at least twice. It also said Mr Routh met with mental health experts who claim they can prove his mental health has deteriorated.
The defense noted that the last witness who spoke with Routh before his arrest claimed that Routh was “hallucinating,” and that many more witnesses claimed that Routh was highly “paranoid.”
Prosecutors said Mr. Routh wrote up to 40 letters to various national news outlets in an attempt to convince mainstream news outlets that he was a “person of honor.” The letter was intercepted before it was delivered, but Cannon clarified that he had not previously imposed a gag order on free speech.
Routh allegedly camped out with firearms and food for more than 12 hours on September 15th, while Trump was golfing, around the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.th. However, a Secret Service agent noticed Routh pointing a rifle through the fence and suddenly fired at Routh. Routh quickly fled and was arrested later that day after an anonymous woman reported to police that she gave him her license plate number while describing the getaway car.
The assassination suspect has pleaded not guilty to five charges, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate and assaulting a federal employee. His trial is currently scheduled for February 10th.th2025.
Lawyers for Routh have already filed a motion to continue the trial, citing an “unusual amount” of discovery during the trial, asking for a postponement until December 2025.
“Proceeding to trial on charges punishable by life in prison, either at his scheduled trial or immediately thereafter, would amount to a miscarriage of justice,” defense attorneys said in a filing.
Prosecutors announced in February that they would be ready for trial, but added that while they would tolerate any “reasonable” delay, continuing the case until December 2025 would not be “reasonable.” Further details about the findings emerged in the prosecution's response to Routh's request for a proceeding filed Tuesday.
Of the 18 cell phones discovered during the search, 17 belonged to Routh. Mr. Routh's notebook contained “dozens of pages of names and numbers for overseas locations,” prosecutors said.
The filing said a “vast number of law enforcement agencies and agencies” were working “around the clock” to investigate Routh's movements both in the United States and “several foreign countries.” .
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