Utah judge finds prosecutor in Charlie Kirk assassination case in contempt
Key takeaways
- Robinson s lawyers asked for prosecutors to be disqualified from the case over statements that Ballard made to the outlets earlier this year about a report included in a defense filing.
- The judge noted that these remarks were not made with malicious intent in this case and said his contempt ruling was not related to the charges against the suspect.
- Additionally, he did not grant the defense s request to block the state from seeking the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Judge Tony Graf said during a court hearing on Friday that Utah County prosecutor Christopher Ballard s comments to media outlets about alleged gunman Tyler Robinson violated a publicity order he issued for this case last year.
Robinson s lawyers asked for prosecutors to be disqualified from the case over statements that Ballard made to the outlets earlier this year about a report included in a defense filing. The prosecutor is also a spokesperson for the Utah County Attorney s Office.
After media began reporting earlier this spring on a ballistics filing that stated authorities were unable to identify that the recovered bullet found at the crime scene was tied to Robinson s alleged firearm, Ballard sought to set the record straight and told outlets that these results were inconclusive.