(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Judge Aileen Cannon has agreed to delay alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh’s trial until September as he undergoes mental health evaluations as part of potential insanity defense.
Judge Cannon issued her order bumping Routh’s trial from February to Sept. 8 on Tuesday. Routh’s attorneys sought a delay until December on the grounds that they need more time to prepare for trial due in large part to the massive amounts of discovery, as well as Routh’s restrictive conditions in Miami federal prison. But Judge Cannon said a delay until December would be excessive “given the facts and circumstances.”
“Although Defendant needs adequate time to evaluate and prepare pretrial motions, nothing in the present record leads the Court to believe that any such motions will involve unusual complexity or require prolonged preparation or adjudication,” Judge Cannon said.
“Finally, although defense counsel represents a need to complete ongoing mental health screening, that process must be completed without delay to facilitate a speedy trial,” she added.
Judge Aileen Cannon has agreed to delay alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh’s trial until September as he undergoes mental health evaluations as part of potential insanity defense.
Cannon also told defense attorneys they must submit a notice of expert evidence of a mental… pic.twitter.com/WvnSLHIpqr
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) December 24, 2024
Cannon also told defense attorneys they must submit a notice of expert evidence of a mental condition or a motion for mental competency by Feb. 3. All pretrial motions are due by April 7, with a Sept. 2 pretrial conference scheduled the week before the Sept. 8 trial.
Judge Cannon’s Tuesday ruling comes on the heels of Florida’s attorney general charging Routh with attempted felony murder for a crash that seriously injured a 6-year-old girl after officials shut down traffic on Interstate 95 as they tried to apprehend him.
The multivehicle crash happened about 30 minutes after Routh’s arrest on I-95, according to the state’s investigation, but Moody said it was a result of his actions.
The girl, who was traveling with her family, had serious injuries, Moody said.
“When you couple those terrible injuries, together with his other criminal conduct, which we believe rises to the level of domestic terrorism, it turns his actions into an attempted felony murder case,” she told reporters.
Routh’s attorney declined to comment last Wednesday through a representative.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
