Share and Follow

Left: Ryan Wesley Routh (Law&Crime). Center: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida). Right: Donald Trump speaks at the annual Road to Majority conference in Washington, DC, in June 2024 (Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP).

A federal judge in Florida has once again rejected efforts by a local man to narrow the scope of his criminal prosecution for allegedly attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump last year at one of his golf courses — this time denying a motion to suppress an “out-of-court” witness identification, days after shooting down a bid to dismiss some of his charges.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee whose rulings in his Mar-a-Lago classified documents case largely cut the prosecution off at its knees, issued an order Saturday denying a motion from defendant Ryan Routh, who sought to suppress a “show-up” witness identification made shortly after the alleged assassination attempt.

A “show-up” witness identification is a procedure in which police present a suspect or photos of them to a witness for identification after a crime occurs, as opposed to a lineup, which involves a witness looking at additional faces.

Routh is facing a five-count federal indictment, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assault of a federal officer. In April, he moved to dismiss the last two counts of the indictment: possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and illegally owning a firearm as a convicted felon.

Routh has a prior conviction for possession of dynamite. His lawyers argued that the two charges were “unconstitutional” and violated his Second Amendment rights.

Cannon shot down that bid on May 22.

On Saturday, the judge ripped Routh for failing to justify his suppression argument and the need for an evidentiary hearing on the identification issue, noting that his motion did not raise any critical facts “other than one conclusory, speculative, and indefinite line” at the end of the document that a “hearing would be helpful to the court to resolve any disputed factual issues,”” according to Cannon.

“That formulation is telling,” she said.

Routh’s public defenders had argued that the identification was “unduly suggestive” and conducted in a “highly-controlled” environment, ultimately violating his due process rights. They also said a “subsequent photo presentation” violated Routh’s rights as well, but prosecutors are not seeking to introduce evidence of the presentation at trial.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Routh in September 2024 was arrested in Florida after a Secret Service agent allegedly spotted him with a rifle “in the exterior brush along the fence line near the 6th hole putting green” at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach as the former president golfed one hole behind. The agent opened fire, leading Routh to allegedly flee the scene.

Police say a witness was able to identify Routh after seeing him dart out from the woods, alleging he was “99.9 percent” sure that Routh was the assassination attempt suspect, according to Cannon. Routh’s lawyers argued in their motion to suppress, which was filed on April 7, that the “show-up identification procedure” was aggravated by the “type of transportation of the eyewitness and presentation of Mr. Routh,” per the motion.

“The witness was flown by helicopter to the middle of a closed down I-95,” Routh’s lawyers said.

“Routh, in handcuffs, was placed by himself as the only option,” their motion stated. “And the FBI then showed a single picture of Routh. With these repeated, high-pressured, police-influenced identification tactics, any well-meaning civilian would be predisposed to make such an identification.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Florida Tragedy: Teen’s Unthinkable Attack on Grandmother Unfolds in Horrific Crime Scene

Jaylin Christian appears inset against an image of the house where he…

Shocking Ambush: Man Unleashes Bullet Storm, Runs Over Deputy, and Hijacks Ambulance in Chilling Attack

Background: Law enforcement respond after the shooting of two Robeson County Sheriff”s…

Authorities Report: Couple Accused of Underfeeding 5-Month-Old Twins, Resulting in Severe Malnourishment and Dehydration

Background: Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Fla. (Google…

Teen Allegedly Shoots at Ex’s Friend After Home is Egged, but Video Reveals Different Story, Police Report

Share In a bizarre twist on a classic prank, a seemingly harmless…

Authorities Apprehend Individual with Human Skull in Vehicle; Over 100 Skeletal Remains Discovered at Residence

In Pennsylvania, prosecutors have brought to light unsettling revelations about a 34-year-old…

Rubio Advises Trump Administration to Disregard Judge’s Directive on Detainee Due Process Amid Sensitive Venezuela Situation Following Maduro’s Arrest

Left: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seen in the…

Timothy Busfield Turns Himself in to Authorities Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Denouncing Accusations as “Lies

Just four days following the issuance of an arrest warrant concerning allegations…

Tragic Florida Murder-Suicide: Shocking Police Chase Ends in Gunman’s Death

On Monday afternoon in Florida, a shooting incident inside an office building…