Tyler Robinson, accused of attempting to assassinate conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, will still face the death penalty, a Utah judge ruled Friday. The decision came despite Judge Tony Graf finding that prosecutors violated a gag order and disrupted the case.
Robinson's defense team had argued that sanctions were necessary after prosecutors responded to a defense filing. This filing suggested that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had determined the bullet found in the gun allegedly used by Robinson did not match the one recovered from Kirk's body. The court documents filed by Robinson's lawyers reportedly fueled online conspiracy theories regarding Kirk's death.
Judge Graf held prosecutor Christopher Ballard in civil contempt for speaking with media outlets about the ongoing case. However, the judge refused to remove the death penalty from consideration, a move the defense had sought as a consequence for the prosecutor's actions.