Judge declines to recuse from case of suspected Trump gunman
MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
Ryan W. Routh, suspected of attempting to assassinate Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course, is led by two Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies after his arrest during a traffic stop near Palm City, Fla., on Sept. 15, in a still image from body camera video.
Stay updated on Hawaii and national elections coverageWASHINGTON >> A U.S. judge today declined to recuse herself from presiding over the criminal case against a man who is facing charges for trying to assassinate former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump to the bench in 2020, said in her ruling the attorneys for Ryan Wesley Routh did not present a valid basis for her to step aside.
Cannon has faced criticism in the past over her rulings in two high-profile cases involving Trump, including criminal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith that Trump mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House and obstructed the Justice Department’s investigation.
In July, Cannon dismissed the charges against Trump, saying Smith was unlawfully appointed to his role and did not have the authority to bring the case.
The Justice Department is appealing that decision, which it said goes against decades of rulings by other federal courts.
Routh, who is originally from North Carolina and owns property there, moved to Hawaii around 2018, according to his LinkedIn page. Routh was known, especially on the Windward side of Oahu where he lived, in Kaaawa, for building storage units and tiny houses.
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Routh is accused of staking out Trump’s golf course with a rifle and has pleaded not guilty. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
His attorneys said Cannon’s favorable rulings for Trump, the fact that he nominated her to the bench, and the prospect for Trump to nominate her to a higher court should he win the Nov. 5 election all could create an appearance of partiality in the mind of the public.
Cannon said none of these issues created the need for her to recuse.
“I have never spoken to or met former President Trump except in connection with his required presence at an official judicial proceeding,” Cannon wrote.
Star-Advertiser staff contributed to this report.
