Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty to attempted assassination of presidential candidate in September
View of the area where Ryan Routh is reported to have lay in wait for former President Trump
Through this small opening in the bushes is where Trump's alleged would-be assassin is said to have hid out. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)
Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, will appear for a hearing in federal court Wednesday morning after his attorneys moved to delay the start of his February trial.
Federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously presided over and eventually dismissed Trump’s federal classified documents case, will preside over the hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Attorneys for both sides were expected to discuss the timeline and specifics of pending discovery materials and any other issues related to pre-trial motions or trial preparations.
Routh allegedly lay in wait for over 12 hours in the brush with a rifle on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach as Trump was golfing on Sept. 15. A Secret Service agent saw Routh pointing a rifle through a fence and fired at him. Routh fled and was arrested that day.
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Ryan Routh is accused of lying in wait with a rifle for Trump while he was golfing at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
The alleged would-be assassin has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and assault on a federal officer. His trial is currently scheduled for Feb. 10, 2025.
Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Routh was seen being taken into custody on Sept. 15 in bodycam footage. (Martin County Sheriff's Office )
Routh’s attorneys have already filed a motion for a continuance, asking for the trial to be delayed until December 2025 because of the "extraordinary volume" of discovery still being examined.
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"Proceeding with the scheduled trial or anytime soon thereafter — on charges punishable by life imprisonment — would result in a miscarriage of justice," the defense attorneys said in the filing.
A court sketch depicts Ryan Routh as he appears in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 23. (Lothar Speer)
Prosecutors said they will be prepared for trial in February but are not opposed to a "reasonable" delay, though they said a continuance until December 2025 would not be "reasonable."
Fox News’ Heather Lacy contributed to this report.
