Tyler Robinson's attorneys ask court to rule out death penalty in Charlie Kirk assassination

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: NBC News

U.S. news
Tyler Robinson’s attorneys ask court to rule out death penalty in Charlie Kirk assassination

Robinson’s attorneys have argued Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard violated a court order in an appearance on Fox News in April.



-------- Tyler Robinson during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Dec. 2025 in Provo, Utah.Rick Egan / Getty Images file

June 12, 2026, 10:24 AM EDT / Updated June 12, 2026, 3:20 PM EDT
By Matt Lavietes and Stefanie Cargill

The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk was back in court on Friday, where a judge is expected to decide whether to hold prosecutors in contempt for comments made about the case in the media.

Tyler Robinson, 23, appeared before Fourth District Judge Tony Graf Jr. in criminal court in Provo, Utah. The judge heard arguments on whether Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard violated a court order by giving statements to TMZ and USA Today, and appearing on Fox News to discuss bullet evidence in the case.

Robinson’s attorneys asked the judge to rule out the death penalty in light of the media statements and appearances, arguing that they breached the judge’s order limiting out-of-court statements about the case. His lawyers have sought to restrict media coverage of the proceedings, contending that the intense public attention threatens Robinson’s right to a fair trial.

“What was going on here was an attempt to influence the jury pool because that’s the only thing that cures the prejudice, is correcting what the state is concerned are the perceptions of potential jurors,” Robinson’s attorney Richard Novak said. “And so, that is the remedy that is commensurate with the extreme recklessness and the motives of the state.” ... Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said that Ballard’s statements were “measured and thoughtful” and “not an effort to prejudice defense or the defendant.”

{snip}

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tyler-robinson-prosecutors-contempt-hearing-rcna349759