This week, Judge Aileen Cannon put the brakes on Ryan Routh’s attempt to pry open a jury questionnaire linked to his alleged assassination plot against Donald Trump.
The judge has also announced plans for a closed status conference to deliberate on the jury questionnaire’s contents.
As reported by Law & Crime, this decision comes amid mounting legal challenges for Routh, a 59-year-old man accused of lurking at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024, armed with a rifle and intent on harming the then-Republican presidential contender. Routh’s legal team contested the decision to keep the jury questionnaire sealed prior to the trial.
Judge Cannon detailed a two-part status conference regarding jury selection. The first part will be public and “unrestricted,” focusing on the logistics of jury selection. The second part, however, will be conducted in a sealed session, centering around an in-depth discussion of the proposed juror questionnaire itself. Routh’s attorneys sought to unseal this very questionnaire, but Cannon, who was appointed by Trump and previously presided over his dismissed Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, denied the request. She further assessed that publicizing the second part of the conference could pose a “significant risk.”
Last year, federal prosecutors charged Routh with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate after he allegedly pushed the muzzle of his rifle through the fence line at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
Routh has also faced charges for two federal gun crimes: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The potential penalties for these charges could reach up to 20 years in prison combined, depending on the outcome of the trial.
Routh allegedly constructed a makeshift sniper’s nest among the bushes just outside the golf course’s perimeter. Following his flight from the scene, law enforcement discovered a Go-Pro camera, two backpacks, a loaded SKS-style rifle equipped with a scope, and a black plastic bag filled with food.
One of those backpacks reportedly contained ceramic tiles, which authorities suspect could have been intended for use as makeshift body armor.
Despite the gravity of the charges, Routh has pleaded not guilty to the federal allegations stemming from the assassination attempt against Trump.
This latest setback for Routh follows Judge Cannon’s refusal to recuse herself from the case, further complicating his legal strategy.
