Self-representation ‘almost always a mistake,’ expert warns as Trump trial begins

Ryan Routh accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump when he was a major candidate in the ballot at his Florida golf club last year has chosen to represent himself in court a decision one legal expert says could prove disastrous Cully Simson a former prosecutor defense attorney and judge stated Fox News Digital that while the Constitution guarantees the right to self-representation it s almost perpetually a mistake It really makes no sense for somebody to defend themselves especially in a serious occurrence he commented They have the right to do it but it s not prudent RYAN ROUTH TRIAL OPENS WITH BIZARRE JURY QUESTIONS AND WITNESS DRAMASelf-representation creates risks and an extraordinary courtroom dynamic where the judge and prosecutor have to pull their punches to protect the record and essentially protect the defendant from himself A seasoned defense attorney knows how to put prosecutors to the test forcing them to prove every element of the occurrence and methodically laying the groundwork for likely appeals When a defendant represents himself Simson stated that kind of strategy is perfectly missing And so what ends up happening is the judge and the prosecutor has to play in a weird way a defensive role in addition to the role of the judge being a neutral and impartial arbiter of the law and the prosecutor just be the person who advocates on behalf of the leadership You have to essentially protect the defendant from himself and that is so much more complex he revealed RYAN ROUTH TRIAL JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASESimson revealed defense attorneys typically push the envelope and force the authorities to object but when someone is representing themselves lawyers hold back because he's not going to be smart enough or educated enough to object This can sometimes create an atmosphere where a right to a fair trial can become skewed and it's something law students review too That's that sophisticated point that law students talk about and lawyers talk about If you had a residents defender or a private defense counsel who wasn't very good and made a number of mistakes during the trial if the guy's convicted one of the first things on appeal is you'll claim ineffective assistance of counsel Simson revealed You can't claim ineffective assistance of counsel when you represent yourself When requested if there were any pros to self-representation in a federal trial Simson disclosed I guess one pro would be to conduct his defense exactly how he sought to For example in the Long Island shooter occurrence no criminal defense attorney was going to let that nut job act out in court and be the wacko he was he reported TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN REPRESENT HIMSELF AT TRIAL FEDERAL JUDGE RULESAs in the notorious Long Island Rail Road episode convicted killer Colin Ferguson chose to represent himself and even took the witness stand to question his own sufferers Routh has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer Prosecutors say he was armed with an AK-style rifle when Secret Provision agents stopped him near Trump s golf module in West Palm Beach in September The trial is expected to last several weeks but Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon urged both sides to keep proceedings efficient CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPOpening statements are tentatively scheduled for Thursday Sept if the panel is seated on time