The Utah judge overseeing the criminal case against Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin emphasized Monday that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Judge Tony Graf said Monday that Tyler Robinson, 22, has a right to that presumption until each element of the charges against him has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, vowing to protect the defendant’s constitutional rights at “every stage he sits before this court.”
“Let me be clear: I will not put my finger on the scale of justice,” the judge said. “These proceedings will be open to the public, conducted in accordance with the law and handled with diligence and competence to ensure that justice is never compromised.”
Graf said he would carry out his duties with “fidelity, transparency and impartiality” and urged both Utah prosecutors and defense counsel to do the same.
“Regardless of who is watching, whether it is the nation or single individual, we must fulfill our roles with integrity, civility and diligence,” he said to the lawyers. “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.”
The judge’s remarks came at the end of a brief procedural hearing, where Robinson’s newly appointed counsel indicated the defense does not intend to waive a preliminary hearing at which the state must convince the judge there’s enough evidence against Robinson to proceed to trial.
The attorney, Kathryn Nester, asked the judge for additional time to review the “voluminous” amount of evidence in the case before formalizing the decision.
Graf agreed to the request, setting another hearing for Oct. 30, which Robinson is expected to attend in person. He attended Monday’s hearing virtually, with the camera off.
Prosecutor Chad Grunander told the court that the parties were working together to devise a process to exchange discovery “as quickly as possible.”
In response to Graf’s remarks about conduct in the case, Grunander said that the Utah County attorney’s office similarly promises to approach the case with “integrity, with professionalism and civility.”
“We are truth seekers,” Grunander said. “We will aggressively pursue the truth in this case.”
The government brought seven charges against Robinson earlier this month after Kirk was struck in the neck with a single bullet and killed while giving a talk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10.
One of those charges is aggravated murder, which carries a possible death sentence. Utah County Attorney General Jeff Gray said the state will pursue capital punishment.
The other counts include felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.