Final preparations for trial of man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida

FORT PIERCE Fla AP A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida is set to represent himself during a pretrial conference on Tuesday as final preparations are made for trial Barring any delays jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept in Fort Pierce federal court for the scenario against Ryan Routh U S District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh s request to represent himself in July but explained court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U S Secret Function agent thwarted Routh s 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 Prosecutors have mentioned Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept at his West Palm Beach country club A Secret Amenity agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view Agents noted 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 stated 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 spectators validated it was the person he had seen prosecutors have disclosed Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in contemporary years had moved to Hawaii A self-styled mercenary leader Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world bystanders have advised The Associated Press In the early days of the war in Ukraine Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians In his native Greensboro North Carolina he had a arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a weapon of mass destruction which turned out to be an explosive with a -inch-long fuse In police searched a warehouse Routh owned and unveiled more than stolen items from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs In both felony cases judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence In addition to the federal charges Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder