A courtroom in Utah refused to derail the prosecution in the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, rejecting claims that personal ties tainted the case.
District Court Judge Tony Graf ruled that prosecutors would remain on the case, dismissing arguments that a conflict of interest existed because the daughter of a senior attorney in the Utah County Attorney’s Office witnessed the shooting.
The defense for 22-year-old Tyler Robinson had argued that emotions, not evidence, drove the decision to seek capital punishment. The contention centered on senior prosecutor Chad Grunander, whose 18-year-old daughter was in the audience when a single gunshot rang out during Kirk’s appearance at Utah Valley University on September 10. She reportedly alerted her father through a series of frantic messages.
Robinson’s legal team suggested that the swift move to pursue the death penalty reflected a “strong emotional reaction.” But in testimony earlier this month, Grunander maintained that his daughter’s presence had no bearing on the charging decision.
Judge Graf agreed. Delivering his ruling from the bench, he said the authority to seek capital punishment rested solely with Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray, and that decision, he emphasized, was anchored in the evidence. The judge stated there was no proof that family ties influenced prosecutorial judgment and described the testimony supporting the death penalty decision as credible.
Robinson, who had been studying to become an electrician, is accused of firing from a rooftop during Kirk’s campus event in Orem. Authorities allege the single shot struck Kirk as he debated students during a college tour stop. The killing stunned supporters and critics alike, unfolding before hundreds gathered at the university.
Kirk, a prominent voice in conservative politics and an ally of Donald Trump, had been widely credited with energizing young voters during the 2024 presidential campaign. His death on stage intensified national anxieties about escalating political violence.
Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. He has yet to enter a plea; that step will follow a preliminary hearing currently slated for mid-May.
The court has set its next hearing for March 13, with an evidentiary session to follow in April—proceedings that will shape whether the case moves toward a capital trial.
