Provo, Utah– A Utah judge is expected to decide Tuesday whether to keep a prosecutor in the murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the University of Utah campus.
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against Robinson, 22, who is accused of aggravated murder in the case. Shooting on September 10 on Utah Valley University Campus in Orem.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea and no trial date has been set.
State District Judge Tony Graf was weighing several justice issues including whether to disqualify Utah County Deputy District Attorney Chad Gronander.
Robinson’s attorneys argue that Grunander has a conflict of interest because his daughter was in the audience when Kirk was shot.
An estimated 3,000 people were at the outdoor gathering to hear Kirk when he was shot on stage. One of the founders of Turning Point USA, Kirk Help mobilize youth To vote for President Donald Trump.
Gronander’s daughter, whose identity has not been revealed to media covering the case, testified in court that she did not record video of the shooting or its aftermath. She told the court she was looking at the crowd and only after she ran to safety did she know that Kirk was the person who had been shot.
The judge, in the meantime, banned it completely Video recordings of Kirk’s shooting He was unable to stand trial after defense attorneys objected, fearing the footage would undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
Defense lawyers are also seeking to keep television cameras and photographers out of the courtroom, arguing that a “highly biased” media risks distorting the case. Prosecutors, lawyers for news organizations and Kirk Graff’s widow urged the proceedings to be kept open.