UTAH COUNTY, Utah — The defense team for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting Charlie Kirk, has filed a motion to have the Utah County Attorney's Office disqualified from the case, citing a conflict of interest involving one of the prosecution's attorneys.
The public motion under seal claimed the attorney in question, whose identity was redacted, had a conflict of interest based on "personal connections" to a witness/victim to the events "at issue in this case."
"Further, Mr. Robinson seeks findings from this court that: 1) Upon learning of the conflict, the Utah County Attorney's Office did not employ any screening protocol and, 2) Information pertaining to the personal involvement of Mr. (name redacted) was shared among the assigned prosecutorial team, including the county attorney. Based upon these findings and in the interest of protecting Mr. Robinson's federal and state rights to due process, Mr. Robinson requests that this court order that the Utah County Attorney's Office is disqualified from representing the state in this matter," the motion states.
Tyler Robinson appears in courtroom for first time since Charlie Kirk shooting
The attorney disclosed this information and added that the family member who texted him from the scene of the incident "will not be a witness for the state and that he does not believe that this circumstance presents a conflict precluding him from participating in the prosecution of Mr. Robinson."
Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.
"The rush to seek death in this case evidences strong emotional reactions by Mr. (redacted), the county attorney, and the entire prosecution team, all of whom were informed of his and his (family member's) personal experiences.
"The supervisory nature of Mr. (redacted)'s position with the Utah County Attorney's Office also contributes to the need for disqualification of the entire Utah County Attorney's Office from the prosecution of this death penalty case. The perception of a fair trial is critical in any case and nowhere more than here, where Mr. Robinson's life is in the balance," the motion concludes.
The next court hearing will be on December 29.
