The man charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, has asked a judge to recuse herself from the case.
Ryan Wesley Routh's attorneys on Thursday requested that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon recuse herself because she was appointed by Trump, ABC News reported.
Routh's legal team, in a 10-page motion, said Cannon's recusal from the federal case "is essential to preserve the appearance of impartiality."
"[Cannon] owes her lifetime appointment to the alleged victim in this criminal case," the motion read.
"Taken together, these unprecedented facts and circumstances might create an appearance of partiality in the mind of the public."
Routh, 58, is accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at the GOP presidential nominee's golf club on Sept. 15. The accused has pleaded not guilty to several federal charges including attempted assassination of a presidential candidate.
Cannon, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, was selected for Routh's case from a random draw of 10 federal judges, Politico reported.
"To be clear, there is no evidence that this case (or any other) was assigned in a non-random manner. But conspiracy theories have been based on less. Recusal would thus have the added benefit of preventing the public from harboring such a dangerous perception," Routh's lawyers said in the motion.
Cannon was the judge who in July dismissed special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents case against the former president.
Routh's attorneys cited Trump's social media posts and rallies, where he praised Cannon for her handling of the classified documents case, as reasons for the recusal request.
"By repeatedly and publicly praising this Court by name for its rulings in his case, Mr. Trump has arguably bolstered the perception that the Court is partial in his favor. Moreover, were Mr. Trump to become President again in the future, he would be in a position to nominate Your Honor to a vacancy on a higher appellate court, including the U.S. Supreme Court. In the mind of the public, this prospect of a judicial promotion could arguably affect this Court’s ability to be impartial in this case, where Mr. Trump is the alleged victim and has an interest in the outcome," the motion read, ABC News reported.
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors asked Cannon for an indefinite delay in scheduling Routh's trial. The judge previously ordered a Nov. 18 trial start date.
In a court filing obtained by ABC News, prosecutors requested the judge officially designate Routh's case as "complex," citing the massive amount of evidence they gathered after he was arrested.
In August, Smith urged a federal appeals court to reinstate the classified documents case, saying Cannon's decision that dismissed the prosecution was at odds with long-standing Justice Department practice and must be reversed.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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