Judge Rules Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect’s Roommate Will Not Have To Testify

The Utah judge overseeing nan murder lawsuit involving Charlie Kirk’s sidesplitting has rejected a defense petition to compel Tyler Robinson’s erstwhile roommate to attest successful personification astatine nan preliminary hearing, saying immoderate questions astir credibility tin beryllium addressed later if nan lawsuit proceeds to trial.

Judge Tony Graf issued nan ruling during a Monday greeting hearing, noting that a preliminary proceeding is intended to find whether location is capable grounds to move guardant to trial, not to determine whether personification is guiltless aliases guilty.

Graf besides delayed until Friday a determination connected whether prosecutors should look sanctions complete nationalist comments astir a slug part recovered from nan blimpish activist’s body.

The defense had separately asked him to barroom nan decease penalty, arguing nan prosecutors’ remarks could improperly power imaginable jurors connected nan mobility of guilt.

Robinson, 23, has not yet entered a plea. He is charged pinch aggravated execution successful nan Sept. 10 sidesplitting of Kirk, a adjacent state of President Donald Trump who was changeable successful nan cervix while addressing a crowd of thousands astatine Utah Valley University.

Prosecutors person said DNA accordant pinch Robinson’s was recovered connected nan trigger of nan rifle, nan fired cartridge casing and 2 unfired cartridges. Defense attorneys statement that forensic reports bespeak aggregate people’s DNA was recovered connected immoderate items, which they opportunity requires a much analyzable analysis.

Robinson reportedly texted his roommate, who was besides his romanticist partner, that he targeted Kirk because he “had capable of his hatred,” prosecutors person said.

Robinson's defense squad asked nan judge to artifact prosecutors from utilizing recorded statements from nan roommate successful nan preliminary hearing, group to statesman connected July 6. The roommate should beryllium brought to attest successful person, nan defense attorneys said, truthful that Robinson tin workout his correct to face witnesses successful personification and situation their credibility. But Graf denied that request, saying nan clip for challenging witnesses will travel later.

“The Utah Supreme Court has many times emphasized that a preliminary proceeding is not a proceedings connected nan merits, but a gateway to nan finder of fact,” Graf said. The task of determining whether a witnesser is reliable is simply a occupation for nan assemblage if nan lawsuit goes to trial, he said.

The lawsuit has attracted wide attention, and online speculation and conspiracy theories grew aft nan defense squad disclosed successful nationalist tribunal documents that first tests were inconclusive to find whether nan slug was fired from nan suspected execution weapon.

Conjecture complete that grounds fueled unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that location mightiness person been a 2nd shooter, aliases that his decease was staged. Attorneys connected some sides person raised concerns that nan misinformation and extended media attraction could taint nan imaginable assemblage pool.

Judge Graf held a proceeding earlier this period complete whether prosecutors should beryllium held successful contempt for their comments astir nan bullet.

Robinson’s attorneys accused prosecutors including Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard of trying to power imaginable jurors by going connected a “media tour” to talk astir ballistics grounds successful nan case.

Ballard based on astatine nan June 12 proceeding that he didn’t speak to nan media astir lawsuit specifics, and he only remarked mostly astir really ballistics testing tin beryllium inconclusive.