Overview

• U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon halted Routh’s opening after he veered into unrelated topics and warned him against making a mockery of the court.
• Routh, 59, is representing himself with standby counsel and has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges that could carry a life sentence.
• Prosecutors told jurors Routh traveled from Hawaii through North Carolina to Florida, repeatedly visited the course, and used multiple cellphones and stolen license plates.
• Secret Service Agent Robert Fercano testified he saw a rifle pointed through a fence, fired in response, and Routh fled before being arrested later that day on a nearby highway.
• Jurors were shown physical evidence tied to the Sept. 15, 2024 incident, including a semiautomatic rifle, backpacks, a GoPro and electronic devices, as the case unfolds during a period of heightened attention to political violence following Charlie Kirk’s killing.