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Ryan Routh, the man convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, has filed an appeal challenging both his conviction and life sentence, according to court records.
A notice filed with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals states that Routh plans to contest the verdict and the sentence imposed earlier this month, according to The Hill.
A federal jury found Routh guilty on five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Prosecutors said he spent weeks planning the attack and positioned himself near the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024.
Authorities said Routh placed a rifle through vegetation along the course perimeter but was spotted before Trump, who was a former president at the time and would later win reelection, came into view. Investigators said he fled after a Secret Service agent fired in his direction and was arrested later on a nearby highway.
The Justice Department sought a life sentence, while Routh argued for a 27-year term, claiming trial errors justified a reduced punishment.
Routh represented himself during the trial after requesting that his public defenders be dismissed. He told U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that his “inability to effectively confront witnesses, use exhibits or affirmatively introduce impeachment evidence” influenced the outcome of the case.
An attorney who assisted Routh during sentencing argued that a shorter sentence would still keep him imprisoned into his 80s while allowing access to correctional and mental health treatment. Court records also show Routh attempted to stab himself with a pen after the verdict was announced.
In the appeal filing, attorney Martin Roth argued that allowing Routh to represent himself could be grounds for review. The filing also cited Cannon’s decision not to recuse herself and the court’s determination that the crime constituted terrorism.
The September 2024 incident came two months after a separate assassination attempt targeting Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the gunman was shot and killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.
