US federal prosecutors have officially petitioned the court to sentence Ryan Wesley Routh to life imprisonment without parole. The corresponding hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2026, in Fort Pierce, Florida, where District Judge Aileen Cannon is to announce the final decision on the fate of the 59-year-old defendant. This is reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
Ryan Routh was convicted by a jury last September on all five counts, the main one being the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The incident occurred on September 15, 2024, at a golf club in West Palm Beach, where Routh had been stalking the then-presidential candidate for several hours with an SKS rifle. The assassination attempt was thwarted by a Secret Service agent who noticed the barrel of the weapon in the bushes and opened fire, forcing the attacker to flee.
During the announcement of the guilty verdict in September, Routh caused a commotion, attempting to wound himself in the neck with a pen, which forced security to forcibly remove him from the courtroom. After the defendant waived self-defense and hired a professional lawyer, the sentencing date was postponed from December to February 2026.
Arguments of the parties and the prosecution's position
In the sentencing memorandum, prosecutors emphasize that Routh remains "unrepentant for his crimes" and poses a constant threat to society. They reminded the court of Routh's letter in which he offered $150,000 to anyone who "could complete the task" of killing Trump if his own attempt failed. The prosecution stresses that only a life sentence can be an adequate punishment for a direct attack on US democratic institutions.
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Routh's defense, in turn, asks the judge to show leniency and impose a sentence of 27 years in prison. Attorney Martin L. Roth argues this by the defendant's age, who will turn 60 in two weeks, noting that life imprisonment would effectively be a "death sentence in prison." Judge Aileen Cannon, known for her meticulousness in legal procedures, is to weigh these arguments at the final hearing, which has attracted national attention.