PROVO, Utah — The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk had a court appearance Monday where lawyers discussed a "voluminous" amount of evidence, thousands of potential witnesses and the judge pledged to ensure a fair trial.
Tyler Robinson appeared virtually during the hearing, a change that was requested by the defense prior to Monday's hearing.
The 22-year-old faces charges in the Sept. 10 shooting at Utah Valley University, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child. It is also possible Robinson faces federal charges.
Watch full hearing for Tyler Robinson below:
On Monday, Kathyn Nester and the rest of Robinson's defense team entered their formal appearance to represent him.
The Utah County Attorney's Office said it would work to provide the defense with evidence in their case against Robinson.
"There is a substantial amount of discovery in this case, your honor. It’s voluminous to say the least," said Chad Grunander, deputy Utah County Attorney.
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Prosecutors also discussed a gag order that 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf had entered in the case, which could create problems. It forbids anyone associated with the case from speaking to news media.
"There are a number of witnesses that have yet to be identified that will likely be used in the state’s case. This occurred in front of two or three thousand students at Utah Valley University so we’re in the process of identifying those witnesses, so those witnesses are presently unknown right now," Grunander said.
Judge Graf said the gag order was designed to prevent problems associated with pre-trial publicity.
"The Court will rule that as those witnesses become known to each side that that information is conveyed to abide by this order. Obviously, there are potentially many witnesses and it’s not the expectation that you would do that upfront but as they become known," he said.
The case involving conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk has already generated a massive amount of media attention and even comments from President Trump, who viewed Kirk as a friend. In his own remarks, Judge Graf — who was sworn in just 56 days ago — pledged to protect the constitutional rights of Robinson and the rights of the victim.
"Regardless of who is watching, whether it is the nation or a single individual, we must fulfill our roles with integrity, civility and diligence. I encourage each of you to give your very best to this case. Neither Mr. Robinson nor the people of Utah deserve anything less than the fair and impartial administration of justice," he said.
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Robinson will appear in person in court on Oct. 30 for another scheduling hearing.
Lawyers in the case left court declining to comment to reporters gathered outside. Security at the courthouse was heavy, even with Robinson not present.
