Photo: NICOLAS GARCIA / AFP / Getty Images
A jury has been selected in the trial of the alleged would-be Trump assassin.
A 12-person jury and four alternates have been chosen to hear the case of Ryan Routh, who will represent himself in a Fort Pierce federal courtroom.
As the jury selection process wrapped up today, the 59-year-old defendant called it "racist," pointing out that prosecutors struck two jurors who were Black. Judge Aileen Cannon asked Routh if he wanted to make an official 'Batson Challenge,' which is a legal procedure used when an attorney is claiming the other side is trying to strike jurors based on sex, race, ethnicity or religion.
The judge denied that challenge after prosecutors denied any allegations of racism, explaining that one juror was excluded after providing inconsistent answers on the jury questionnaire.
Cannon also accused Routh of getting legal advice from his two court-appointed attorneys. He has been instructed that "legal" advice is not allowed, since Routh was granted the right to act as his own lawyer. Those attorneys are only allowed to give him "technical" advice. The judge says she heard "whispers" and believed they were giving him more than "technical" advice, but Routh denies that. He said that he came up with the "Batson challenge" on his own.
Routh is accused of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump last September at his West Palm Beach golf course.
Opening statements are schedule to begin tomorrow.