A Florida federal judge who dismissed a case against former President Donald Trump over classified criminal documents on Tuesday rejected a request to drop her case against a man accused of trying to assassinate the president at a Trump golf course in September. The case of Trump’s man.
Judge Erin Cannon, who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump, Order None of the arguments cited by defendant Ryan Routh were sufficient to justify recusing herself from the case in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach.
“Defendant cites a series of factors that he believes, taken as a whole, created bias,” Cannon wrote. “Whether examined individually or together, there is no reason to recuse.”
“I have no relationship with the alleged victim in any reasonable sense of the word,” Cannon said.
The West Palm Beach federal defender’s office, which represented Rouse, declined to comment on Cannon’s ruling.
Rouse’s attorneys cited an ABC News report in a filing last week saying Cannon would appear as a possible nominee for U.S. attorney general if Trump wins the presidential election next week over Kamala Harris. on the list.
Rouse, 58, was charged with five counts indictment attempts to kill Republican presidential candidate Trump, as well as gun crimes and attacks on U.S. Secret Service agents.
He was arrested on September 15 after a Secret Service agent allegedly spotted a rifle sticking out of the treeline at Trump Golf Links in West Palm Beach and fired at him. The former president was playing golf at a nearby golf course.
Rouse has pleaded not guilty.
Rouse’s attorneys pointed out in their recusal motion against Cannon that in addition to appointing Cannon to her seat, Trump has “repeatedly praised” her in public statements and that if Trump is elected, Cannon will have “justice.” The prospect of promotion,” if she recused herself, said it would “eliminate any public perception that Mr. Trump’s cases were assigned to this court in a non-random manner.”
Rouse’s attorneys also pointed to Cannon’s rulings in Trump’s favor, including dismissal of the classified documents case, and that she went to high school with one of the prosecutors on Rouse’s case in the 1990s and attended the trial nine years ago his wedding.
“Taken together, these unprecedented facts and circumstances have the potential to create a prejudice in the public mind,” Rouse’s attorneys wrote in the Oct. 17 motion. “Accordingly, the Constitution and the federal recusal statute require that the Honorable Judge recuse himself.” From this Let’s look at the case.
In her ruling rejecting the recusal request, Cannon wrote that she had “no control” over what Trump said about her, and “I am not concerned about the political consequences of my ruling or how ‘some in the media’ may view it.” these rulings.”
“I have never spoken with or met former President Trump except through his attorney to attend a formal judicial proceeding,” she wrote.
She also wrote that Rouse’s case, like two other cases involving Trump she has presided over, “was randomly assigned to me through the clerk’s random assignment system. Period.”
“I will not be guided by highly inaccurate, ignorant or speculative opinions,” Cannon wrote.
Cannon dismissed speculation that Trump would promote her to a higher judicial position or the U.S. attorney general’s office.
“Such speculation aside, the motion fails to cite any objective facts to warrant a reasonable inference of favoritism or bias under applicable legal principles,” she wrote.
In July, Cannon dismissed a classified documents case against Trump that accused him of retaining hundreds of sensitive government records after leaving the White House in January 2021 and obstructing officials from recovering them.
Cannon ruled that the appointment of special prosecutor Jack Smith as prosecutor in the case violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.
Cannon’s ruling in the documents case came two days after a gunman opened fire on Trump at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, a matter that Smith has appealed. The gunman in the incident was shot dead by the Secret Service.
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