Prosecutors held in contempt for violating gag order in trial of Charlie Kirk murder suspect
Tyler Robinson, left, speaks with his attorney Kathryn Nester in court in Provo, Utah, on April 17, 2026. (Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via the Associated Press)
The Utah judge presiding over the murder trial in conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s killing held the prosecution in contempt of court for telling the online news outlet TMZ that prosecutors had “ample evidence” to win a conviction.
Judge Tony F. Graf Jr. of the Fourth District Court in Utah on Friday said one of the prosecutors had violated an order limiting what lawyers in the death penalty case of Tyler J. Robinson were allowed to say in public, according to the New York Times.
Robinson, 23, is accused of gunning down Kirk in September at a forum at Utah Valley University. His lawyers have sought to ban media coverage, arguing that it has been filled with opinion and misinformation.
Graf denied a request from the defense to punish prosecutors by throwing out the death penalty as a possible punishment. The judge instead ordered prosecutors to pay the attorney fees and other costs relating to the legal filings and a hearing conducted earlier this month into the contempt charge.
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