A Utah judge ruled Tyler Robinson remains eligible for capital punishment in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
PROVO, Utah— Tyler Robinson,the man accused of carrying out the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,remains eligible for capital punishment if convicted of aggravated murder,a Utah state judge ruled Friday.The high-stakes determination came during a contentious hearing in Utah County’s 4th District Court,where Judge Tony Graf Jr.navigated competing claims of prosecutorial misconduct and defense maneuvering that have turned the pretrial proceedings into an intense public legal battle.
While declining a defense request to strike the death penalty as a sanction against the state,Judge Graf held Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard in civil contempt of court.The sanction stemmed from public statements Ballard made regarding his assessment of the evidentiary strength of the prosecution’s case,which the court found crossed the line established by a strict pretrial protective order.