Utah Judge Rules Charlie Kirk Assassination Defendant Remains Eligible for the Death Penalty, Denying the Defense Motion
In Orem, Utah County, Utah, a judge ruled on October 30 that Tyler Robinson, the defendant in the Charlie Kirk assassination case, remains eligible for the death penalty if convicted, denying a defense motion to remove that possibility.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. also ruled that Utah County Deputy Attorney Christopher Ballard violated a court order, and was in contempt, for statements about his opinion on the strength of the evidence. The judge said the proper remedy was not removing the death penalty but expanding the jury selection process to ensure a fair trial.
Prosecutors had argued they complied with the gag order and court rules when they responded to a defense filing that had fueled online claims the ATF could not match the bullet that killed Kirk to the suspected murder weapon. Prosecutors noted the bullet's caliber was the same, and a spent casing matched one found at the scene. The ruling preserves the prosecution's option to seek the death penalty; the final sentence will depend on the trial and later proceedings.
Source: GSM America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：犹他谷大学校牌（奥勒姆）。An Errant Knight摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / Utah Valley University sign in Orem. Photo by An Errant Knight, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
