The suspect remained nearly motionless as a judge read the charges against him and informed him about next steps.
PROVO, Utah—Tyler James Robinson, 22, remained nearly motionless throughout his first court appearance Sept. 16 on capital murder and other charges six days after the shooting death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Robinson was being held in the Utah County Jail as he appeared via a video screen in the Fourth Judicial District Courthouse before Judge Tony Graf.
The defendant leaned forward slightly and stated his full name, as the judge requested. The judge then read all the charges against him, and also agreed to grant a protective order that the homicide victim’s widow, Erika Kirk, had requested. Details of that order were not immediately available.
The courtroom was empty except for the judge, news reporters, and court personnel during the 14-minute hearing. Deputy County Attorney Chad Grunander said he had just filed a notice that the death penalty is being sought.
The sleeveless garment that Robinson was wearing resembled a “suicide vest,” which jailers often use to prevent suspects from harming themselves; the vest appeared to have velcro straps above the defendant’s left shoulder.
Robinson nodded his head slightly a couple of times in response to statements from Graf. The judge told Robinson that he declared him indigent and would be appointing a lawyer to represent him. Graf also informed the defendant that anything he said during the hearing could be held against him, so Robinson could choose to remain silent and preserve his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The judge also told Robinson he would continue to remain jailed without bail. He set his next court date for Sept. 29, also via video.
Charges against Robinson include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two obstruction of justice counts, two witness tampering charges, and a violent offense committed in the presence of a child, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced earlier.
This hearing is the first step in the Robinson case. In response to a question from The Epoch Times, Gray said federal authorities would decide whether to file charges, which could affect how the state case might proceed.
