(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Justice Department disclosed in a Tuesday afternoon court filing that attorneys for Ryan Routh are considering an insanity defense for their client, who allegedly tried killing Donald Trump on Sept. 15 at his Florida golf course.
The DOJ’s disclosure came in a filing opposing Routh’s request to have his trial bumped from February to December 2025. The DOJ signaled that it would oppose an insanity defense, which is when a defendant argues that he’s not criminally culpable due to mental illness.
Routh’s attorneys say 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. In their Tuesday filing, the DOJ agreed to delay the trial by a few months—but not by 10.
Along with opposing the 10-month delay, prosecutors expressed concern that an attempt to plead an insanity defense would also postpone the case.
🚨HOT OFF THE PRESS🚨 Attorneys for alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh are mulling the possibility of an insanity defense for their client, according to a court filing from the DOJ today.
Story coming soon, below pic.twitter.com/gTrv2kspHB
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) December 10, 2024
“In a recent discussion about scheduling, defense counsel raised the possibility of an insanity defense for Routh, a subject they say they need time to evaluate. If Routh did seek to claim insanity, that defense, even if meritless (as it would be), would cause a significant disruption to the pretrial and trial schedule,” prosecutors said.
As for Routh’s reasons for a 10-month delay, the DOJ said they were meritless.
Even though Routh has received terabytes of discovery, most of that information comes from his own phones and electronic devices—meaning that he should already be familiar with that evidence, prosecutors argued.
“The 18 cell phones they highlight, for example. Seventeen are the Defendant’s. Almost all of the other devices are his as well. The contents of these devices are presumably well known to Routh,” prosecutors said.
“The vast majority of discovery we have produced is extractions from these devices. And while defense counsel may not be personally familiar with these devices, the lion’s share of their contents likely has little relevance to any serious defense.”
Prosecutors also argued that despite the seriousness of Routh’s crimes, the case is relatively straightforward.
“While extremely grave, this is not a complex, multi-year fraud scheme, or a massive racketeering operation, or multi-defendant transactional smuggling network. Those types of offenses by definition involve significant discovery and require intensive document review. Routh’s offenses in this case do not,” they said.
“The Defendant’s request for a continuance until no later than December 2025 should be denied.”
The parties are set to argue about the matter at a Wednesday status hearing.
Prosecutors have accused Routh, 58, of Hawaii, of stalking Trump for a month before he built a sniper’s nest near the Trump International golf course in West Palm Beach.
Federal prosecutors charged Routh with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.
Routh has pleaded not guilty.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
