A judge ruled that a prosecutor was in civil contempt for public comments about evidence in the murder case against Tyler Robinson. The comments concerned a bullet fragment recovered from the body of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The death penalty remains an option for prosecutors despite defense objections.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. made the ruling during a virtual hearing on Friday. He found the prosecutor violated rules by discussing the strength of the case against Robinson with the media.
The defense had asked the judge to remove the death penalty from consideration, arguing that the comments could influence potential jurors. Graf rejected that request and allowed prosecutors to continue seeking capital punishment.
Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder and has not entered a plea. His preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin on July 6 and will be open to the public. The judge also ordered additional jury questionnaires and said the jury pool may be expanded.
At a May hearing, Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard maintained that he had only made general remarks about ballistics testing and had not discussed case specifics.