A federal grand jury indicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, on five counts arising from an alleged sniper attack on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15, 2024 [1][2]. The case was assigned to the Southern District of Florida and presided over by Judge Aileen M. Cannon [1]. Prosecutors from the DOJ National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida brought charges spanning attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault of a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number [1].
On Sept. 23, 2025, a jury in Fort Pierce, Florida returned guilty verdicts on all five counts after deliberating [1][2]. Routh did not testify, and the trial centered on physical evidence recovered at the golf course perimeter, including a rifle and a backpack, as well as surveillance footage and Secret Service witness testimony [2][3]. Following the verdict, Routh attempted to harm himself in the courtroom, an incident that delayed post-verdict proceedings [3].
Judge Cannon sentenced Routh on Feb. 4, 2026, to life in federal prison plus 84 months, reflecting the mandatory and discretionary terms across the five counts [1]. The life term was driven primarily by the attempted assassination conviction, the most serious charge in the indictment [1][2].
Defense counsel did not file a publicly reported notice of appeal in the period covered by the source materials. Given the severity of the sentence and the weight of the trial record, post-conviction review before the Eleventh Circuit remains a near-certain procedural step, though no filing date has been confirmed in the available sources.