Judge to Decide on Disqualification of Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk Killing Case
In a Utah court on Friday, the defense attorney for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is seeking to have the prosecutors disqualified due to alleged conflict of interest. The defense claims that an adult child of a deputy county attorney who attended a rally where Kirk was shot has a personal relationship with the prosecutor's family, raising serious concerns about potential bias.
The 18-year-old child had texted a family group chat saying "CHARLIE GOT SHOT" after hearing the news from someone in line. However, defense attorney Richard Novak argues that this personal connection between the child and the prosecutor's family constitutes a conflict of interest, particularly since prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against Robinson.
Judge Tony Graf is set to decide on the disqualification request. If successful, the case would be reassigned to another county or the state attorney general's office, which could have significant implications for the prosecution's strategy.
Prosecutors argue that there is virtually no risk of bias and that the child's relationship with the prosecutor's family does not pose a material conflict of interest. They claim that nearly everything the child knows about the case is mere hearsay and do not believe they can be disqualified.
The decision comes after several thousand people attended an outdoor rally where Kirk was shot while taking questions from the audience. The university president announced Wednesday that she will step down from her role after the semester ends in May, amid criticism for a lack of safety measures at the time of the shooting.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 18, where prosecutors are expected to lay out their case against Robinson.
In a Utah court on Friday, the defense attorney for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is seeking to have the prosecutors disqualified due to alleged conflict of interest. The defense claims that an adult child of a deputy county attorney who attended a rally where Kirk was shot has a personal relationship with the prosecutor's family, raising serious concerns about potential bias.
The 18-year-old child had texted a family group chat saying "CHARLIE GOT SHOT" after hearing the news from someone in line. However, defense attorney Richard Novak argues that this personal connection between the child and the prosecutor's family constitutes a conflict of interest, particularly since prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against Robinson.
Judge Tony Graf is set to decide on the disqualification request. If successful, the case would be reassigned to another county or the state attorney general's office, which could have significant implications for the prosecution's strategy.
Prosecutors argue that there is virtually no risk of bias and that the child's relationship with the prosecutor's family does not pose a material conflict of interest. They claim that nearly everything the child knows about the case is mere hearsay and do not believe they can be disqualified.
The decision comes after several thousand people attended an outdoor rally where Kirk was shot while taking questions from the audience. The university president announced Wednesday that she will step down from her role after the semester ends in May, amid criticism for a lack of safety measures at the time of the shooting.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 18, where prosecutors are expected to lay out their case against Robinson.