The defense attorney for the man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump at his Palm Beach golf course sought a significant extension to the pretrial calendar in a Wednesday hearing, citing overwhelming discovery demands. Judge Cannon expressed skepticism, delaying a decision until later this week or early next.
Ryan Routh, 58, had filed a motion requesting the trial be moved from February 2025 to December 2025, arguing that the current timeline would compromise his constitutional right to an adequate defense.
At the hearing in Fort Pierce, Assistant Federal Public Defender Kristy Militello described the immense challenge posed by the case, citing “extraordinary volume” in discovery materials, including data from 17 of Routh’s phones and other digital files. “We’re still really in the dark,” Militello said, adding it would take “a lawyer a year without sleep or vacation to review all the information in this case.”
Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee, was unconvinced, telling the defense, “I’m not entirely sure the roadblocks you’re describing exist to the extent you’re suggesting.”
Prosecutor John Shipley, representing the government, acknowledged the volume of discovery but opposed the defense’s request for a nearly yearlong delay, calling it “wrong on many fronts” and “just not feasible.” While the government did not object to a shorter extension, it opposed the December 2025 trial date.
In her motion, Militello argued that the current schedule, given the volume of evidence and its importance in preparing a defense, risks violating Routh’s due process rights. “Proceeding with the scheduled trial or anytime soon thereafter — on charges punishable by life imprisonment — would result in a miscarriage of justice,” the motion read.
Prosecutors have charged Routh with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm by a felon, possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and using a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
