The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk attended court Monday morning from his Utah County jail cell via video conference with his camera turned off.
The high-profile prisoner, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson, appeared before Judge Tony Graf in Utah’s 4th District Court for a waiver hearing, where he is facing multiple state charges, including aggravated murder.
Both parties agreed to a preliminary hearing on Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. MDT.
Graf began the court by confirming that all attorneys met the credentials to represent Robinson.
His attorneys are Kathryn N. Nester, a Salt Lake City attorney serving as Robinson’s lead counsel, and Michael N. Burt and Richard G. Novak, both of California, who are serving as co-counsel. All have experience in trying capital punishment cases.
In the prosecution’s opening remarks, they said they had a substantial amount of discovery against Robinson, “voluminous to say the least,” Utah County Deputy Attorney Chad Grunander said.
Grunander also noted that both legal counsels are working in coordination with each other and will continue to do so throughout the course of the case.
The prosecution then asked for clarification from Graf regarding a publicity order that prohibited legal counsel from “not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly (permitting) a witness, investigator, consultant, staff member, or other member of the prosecution or defense team to make extrajudicial statements,” per the order.
Since all witnesses have yet to be identified from the 3,000-person crowd that witnessed Kirk’s assassination, they requested additional time and cooperation from both parties to ensure the order isn’t violated.
The defense had no issue with the publicity order but requested more time from the judge due to the extensive discovery against their client.
Judge Graf promises impartiality
After both parties made their remarks, Graf ensured that he would respect Robinson’s constitutional rights, meaning he is innocent until proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty.
“Justice demands that both of these principles, the rights of the accused and the rights of victims, be honored without compromise,” Graf said. “Let me be clear, I will not put my finger on the scale of justice. These proceedings will be open to the public, conducted in accordance with the law and handled with diligence and competence to ensure that justice is never compromised.”
Robinson is expected to appear with his counsel in person at the end of October as the case continues.
A preliminary hearing will follow, after which Robinson will enter either a guilty or not guilty plea to the charges he faces.
Robinson’s initial court appearance
In his initial court appearance earlier this month, Robinson was seen wearing a suicide-prevention smock, which court officials said is standard for high-profile prisoners at the Utah County Jail. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is pursuing the death penalty.
He was read the seven charges against him:
Count 1: Aggravated murder, a Capital Felony, that the defendant intentionally or knowingly caused the death of Charlie Kirk.
Count 2: Discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a First Degree Felony. The defendant targeted Charlie Kirk because of political motives, knowing children would be present.
Count 3: Obstruction of justice, a second degree felony, for moving firearm used in a crime.
Count 4: Obstruction of justice, a second degree felony, for disposing clothing he wore during the shooting.
Count 5: Witness tampering, a Third Degree Felony, directing his roommate to delete his texts.
Count 6: Witness tampering, a Third Degree Felony, for directing his roommate to stay silent.
Count 7: Violent offense in the presence of a child, a class A misdemeanor.
Kirk was shot and killed during a “Prove Me Wrong” debate at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Robinson allegedly shot Kirk from the roof of the Losee Center, a building next to the grassy amphitheater at UVU where Kirk was interacting with 3,000 students and visitors.
Robinson was apprehended at approximately 10 p.m. in Washington City, Utah, the night after Kirk’s killing, and after a statewide manhunt was carried out. The day after the shooting, Robinson’s mother saw the photo of the alleged suspect all over national news, and thought it looked like her son, according to charging documents.
Robinson turned himself in with his parents and a family friend, per the documents.