Latest news with #U.S.SecretService
CBS News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Man accused of trying to assassinate Trump while he played golf can represent himself at trial, judge says
Ryan Routh, the man charged with trying to assassinate President Trump last year in South Florida, can represent himself during his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh's request to represent himself but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Earlier in the week, the federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them. Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Mr. Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. He has also pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn't intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready. In a June 29 letter to the judge, Routh said he and his attorneys were "a million miles apart" and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia. "I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away," Routh wrote. On Wednesday, the federal public defender's office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, saying "the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken." Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team. "It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand," the motion said. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Mr. Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Mr. Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Mr. Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Routh was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and was allegedly 300-500 yards away from Mr. Trump when the Secret Service agent spotted his rifle in the tree line, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. The incident followed another attempted assassination, last July, which took place at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Mr. Trump and two others were injured, and one man, Corey Comperatore, was killed when a gunman, Thomas Crooks, fired shots. Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
NBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump can represent himself at trial, judge says
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida can represent himself during his trial, a federal judge ruled Thursday. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Ryan Routh's request to represent himself during his trial but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Earlier in the week, the federal public defenders had asked to be taken off the case, saying Routh had refused repeated attempts to meet with them. Routh, 59, is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn't intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready. In a June 29 letter to Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were 'a million miles apart' and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia. 'I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,' Routh wrote. On Wednesday, the federal public defender's office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, saying 'the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.' Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team. 'It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,' the motion said. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said. Routh has another, unrelated hearing in Cannon's courtroom scheduled for Friday on the admissibility of certain evidence and testimony that can be used for the trial.
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court Thursday to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She did not rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case. Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate , assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn't intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready. In a June 29 letter to Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were 'a million miles apart' and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia. 'I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,' Routh wrote. On Wednesday, the federal public defender's office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, claiming that 'the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.' Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team. 'It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,' the motion said. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said. Routh has another, unrelated hearing in Cannon's courtroom scheduled for Friday on the admissibility of certain evidence and testimony that can be used for the trial. In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump returns to court and hopes to represent himself
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course will return to court Thursday to once again explain why he wants to fire his court-appointed lawyers and represent himself. Ryan Routh previously made the request earlier this month during a hearing in Fort Pierce before U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon. She did not rule during the hearing but said she would issue a written order later. But now Routh, 59, is set to be back in front of Cannon, a day after his court-appointed federal public defenders asked to be taken off the case. Routh is scheduled to stand trial in September, a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. The judge told Routh earlier this month that she doesn't intend to delay the Sept. 8 start date of his trial, even if she lets him represent himself. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready. In a June 29 letter to Cannon, Routh said that he and his attorneys were 'a million miles apart' and that they were refusing to answer his questions. He also suggested in the same letter that he could be used in a prisoner exchange with Iran, China, North Korea or Russia. 'I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts; perhaps you have the power to trade me away,' Routh wrote. On Wednesday, the federal public defender's office filed a motion for termination of appointment of counsel, claiming that 'the attorney-client relationship is irreconcilably broken.' Attorneys said Routh refused to meet with them for a scheduled in-person meeting Tuesday morning at the federal detention center in Miami. They said Routh has refused six attempts to meet with their team. 'It is clear that Mr. Routh wishes to represent himself, and he is within his Constitutional rights to make such a demand,' the motion said. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney. Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said. Routh has another, unrelated hearing in Cannon's courtroom scheduled for Friday on the admissibility of certain evidence and testimony that can be used for the trial. In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Charges dismissed against Kees Firearms owners
After more than two years in court, Will County prosecutors moved Monday to drop several criminal charges, first filed in 2023, against two New Lenox business owners, after a circuit court judge denied their request to reschedule the trial date. Jeffery Regnier, the owner of Kee Firearms and Training in New Lenox, and Greta Keranen, with Kee Construction, will not face charges of theft by deception, burglary, loan fraud, wire fraud or burglary fraud, unless the state decides to refile the charges. The Will County state's attorney's office did not respond Tuesday afternoon whether refiling is a possibility. Regnier and Keranen were first charged with several felonies for fraud and theft of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds in 2023. The state requested to continue the case, scheduled for a jury trial Monday, on another date due to the absence of several witnesses, including two special agents for the U.S. Secret Service and a former secret service agent now working with the IRS Southeastern District Analysis. The state said the agents were necessary to the case but were scheduled for field work the week of the trial. But Judge Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak said prosecutors had four months to ensure the witnesses presence, as the July court date was set in March, and denied the state's request. Previous judges in the case expressed frustration with prosecutor delays. The New Lenox business partners will still face a number of charges in Will County Circuit Court on Sept. 8, including money laundering and filing a fraudulent Illinois sales and use tax return. 'I'm relieved that they dropped the case at this point in time because of the time it's taken to go almost 30 months to prove that we're innocent,' Regnier said Monday. Regnier and Keranen won a case July 16 to recover seized property and securities under the Eighth Amendment's protection against excessive fines. The properties, including four vehicles and Fidelity Investment accounts valued at $5.5 million, were seized as a part of officials investigation of Regnier and Keranen for money laundering. Michael Ettinger, an attorney on the case, called the judgement 'historic' for how pretrial civil forfeiture is applied in the county. Previously, defendants had to wait 10 months to a year of trial proceedings before they could move to dismiss the forfeiture and get their property back, Ettinger said. 'They had no right to seize that property under the Constitution,' said Ettinger. 'Whatever alleged fraud, if it was $200,000, they could seize that amount of money, but you can't take the rest of their assets just because it's in the same account.' The business owners also filed a federal lawsuit in January 2025, claiming Will County authorities and the U.S. Secret Service targeted them and others with 'frivolous' civil forfeiture cases. Defendants in the lawsuit are the Will County sheriff's office, a U.S. Secret Service agent and unknown members of the Will County sheriff's office and U.S. Secret Service. The agent filed a request Monday to dismiss several motions. The lawsuit alleges the Will County state's attorney's office worked in conjunction with the secret service and the Will County sheriff's office to bring 'knowingly frivolous civil forfeiture claims targeting citizens of Will County to line the pockets of the Will County State's attorney and other Illinois government agencies.' Under Illinois law, 65% of forfeiture proceeds go to the arresting agency, which in this case is either Will County sheriff or U.S. Secret Service, 12.5% goes to the state's attorney, 12.5% to the state appellate prosecutor and 10% to Illinois State Police. The lawsuit claims those authorities, working together, created a 'de facto policy to overzealously pursue forfeiture opportunities' regardless of their legality 'in violation of the constitutional rights of the individuals whose assets they seek to forfeit.' The federal lawsuit also alleged the ongoing and widespread constitutional violations in civil forfeiture cases in Will County and across Illinois suggest a possible 'widespread conspiracy, understanding or policy' that leads to the overzealous and unconstitutional prosecution of forfeiture cases.
