Judge holds prosecutors in Charlie Kirk murder case in contempt for comments about the defendant
Judge holds prosecutors in Charlie Kirk murder case in contempt for comments about the defendant
(Francisco Kjolseth /Pool The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
The Utah judge in the murder case over Charlie Kirk’s killing held prosecutors in contempt of court on Friday over comments they made to media organizations about defendant Tyler Robinson.
Judge Tony Graf said the comments violated his restrictions on what the two sides can say about the case outside of court.
But Graf denied a defense request to take the death penalty off the table as a sanction for the violation. He said the problem could instead be resolved through the screening and questioning process for potential jurors, which is intended to weed out people who could be biased about the case.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea. The 23-year-old from southwestern Utah is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 assassination of Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump who was shot in the neck while addressing a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University.
Defense attorneys had accused Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard of trying to influence potential jurors by going on a “media tour” to talk about ballistics evidence in the case. Ballard also said prosecutors had enough evidence to show Robinson murdered Kirk.
Legal experts had said blocking the death penalty would have been an extreme remedy. Graf said it would have been “grossly disproportionate” to the misconduct.
Ballard argued that he had a right to speak to the press to correct misinformation about a preliminary finding by ballistics experts.
Those experts’ initial tests did not match the bullet fragment with a gun that investigators believe was used to kill Kirk. That spurred stories by some publications raising questions about the prosecution’s case: A March 30 headline in the U.K.-based Daily Mail reported that the bullet that killed Kirk “did NOT match” the rifle investigators say was used to kill Kirk.
Ballard said he was trying to “set the record straight,” when he told media organizations the ballistics tests were inconclusive to determine whether the bullet was fired from the suspected murder weapon.
Conjecture over that evidence fueled unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that there might have been a second shooter, or that Kirk’s death was staged. Attorneys on both sides have raised concerns that the misinformation and extensive media attention could taint the potential jury pool.
Graf said the comments about the bullet did not violate the court’s rules, but that Ballard went too far when he went on to say that prosecutors had “ample evidence to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that Tyler Robinson committed this murder.”
The judge said those additional public statements possessed a “substantial likelihood” of prejudicing the case.
The judge added that the comments were not made out of any malicious desire by prosecutors to taint the jury pool, and that his ruling had nothing to do with the charges against Robinson.
“Its sole purpose is enforcement of a narrowly tailored publicity order governing attorney conduct,” Graf said.
Authorities have said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle.
The Associated Press left telephone and email messages seeking comment from prosecutors and Robinson’s lawyers.
Emergency services recovered the body from the pool in the park in West Bromwich after she disappeared in the afternoon.
Cambridgeshire Police says a man in his 20s is taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The family of murdered teenager Joshua Hall are welcoming the ban on social media for under 16s.
This national debate was sparked after the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
A round-up of pictures from across the West this week.
Pakistan’s military said Sunday that three members of its paramilitary Rangers force were killed and four others wounded in fighting after militants launched an attack the previous night on a regional headquarters in the southern port city of Karachi. A militant rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the provincial headquarters of the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers in Karachi on Saturday night, triggering an intense exchange of gunfire with security forces, according to police and witnesses. In a statement, the military said security forces had killed three attackers and captured a fourth, who was wounded.
People share mixed emotions as Durham County Council leaves it brutalist home of 63 years.
Italy’s PM was not long ago being called the “Trump whisperer”, but their relationship has gone from public attacks to personal insults.
The work follows the completion of a major upgrade to Colne bus station earlier this year.
A council calls on National Highways to take responsibility for clearing litter on the A34.
The Japanese Summer Festival is back in Liverpool with activities celebrating the country’s culture.
The houses in Brynteg have seen their prices reduced more than six times over two and a half years.
The Liverpool care home was visibly dirty, with “bad smells” coming from people’s bedding, inspectors say.
Ten years on from Brexit people in Boston share their views on how the town has changed.
Students in Guernsey have made the sculpture which will act as a bin.
Health and Social Care says its compliance challenges are “a result of being under-resourced”.
Salford Cathedral reopens on 4 July after a transformative project.
Rights of Nature could give Lough Neagh the same status as a person, entitled to the same protections.
Michael Nicholson says recovering from his cocaine addiction is the best thing he has ever done.
The wooden bridge in Melton Country Park should be open to the public by the end of summer 2026.
Powered by WPeMatico