Lawyers for alleged Charlie Kirk killer again ask to have prosecutors removed

At a pretrial proceeding for Tyler Robinson, the accused slayer of Charlie Kirk, the defence again argued that prosecutors should beryllium thrown disconnected the case.

Robinson's attorneys privation the full Utah County Attorney's Office disqualified due to the fact that 1 of the prosecutors has an 18-year-old girl who was contiguous astatine the rally astatine Utah Valley University successful Orem, wherever Kirk was shot.

Utah County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Chad Grunander testified that helium received texts from his girl close aft the killing, saying idiosyncratic had been changeable astatine the schoolhouse and that she was OK. 

Defense attorneys antecedently said successful tribunal documents that the idiosyncratic narration is simply a struggle of involvement that "raises superior concerns astir past and aboriginal prosecutorial decision-making successful this case." They besides argued that the "rush" to question the decease punishment against the 22-year-old fishy is grounds of "strong affectional reactions" by the prosecution.

Grunander's girl besides testified during the hearing, but that information was closed to the nationalist to support her identity.

According to an affidavit submitted by prosecutors, she did not spot the shooting. 

"While the 2nd idiosyncratic successful enactment was speaking with Charlie, I was looking astir the assemblage erstwhile I heard a large sound, similar a pop. Someone yelled 'he's been shot,'" Grunander's girl stated successful the affidavit.

She aboriginal texted a household radical chat to accidental "CHARLIE GOT SHOT." In the aftermath of the shooting, she did not miss classes oregon different activities and reported nary lasting trauma "aside from being frightened astatine the time," the affidavit said.

Grunander said helium decided aboriginal to disclose the accusation astir his girl due to the fact that it could beryllium portrayed arsenic a imaginable struggle of interest. "Don't mistake [my disclosure] to beryllium a concession that we judge determination is merit to this alleged conflict," Grunander said.

Earlier, Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray took the stand, defending his determination to question the decease penalty. Gray testified helium was not influenced by Grunander and decided to prosecute an aggravated execution complaint based connected the grounds that had been gathered. 

Grunander said helium doesn't judge Gray's determination to question the decease punishment was influenced by his daughter's beingness astatine the country of the shooting. 

Wednesday's proceedings continued a proceeding that began Jan. 16, and included much than 2 hours of testimony.

Prosecutors person repeatedly argued determination is nary struggle of involvement and accused the defence of trying to hold an upcoming evidentiary hearing.

Judge Tony Graf denied a defence petition to notation the lawsuit to the Utah Attorney General's Office and said helium volition contented a ruling astatine a proceeding scheduled for Feb. 24.

In an earlier motion, Robinson's attorneys asked the justice to prohibition cameras and microphones from the courtroom, saying media sum could impact Robinson's close to a just trial.

In a caller tribunal filing, Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, asked the justice to support the hearings public, writing, "There is nary capable substitute for unfastened proceedings."

On Tuesday, the justice did o.k. the defense's petition to determination cameras to the backmost of the courtroom. Robinson's lawyers privation to forestall close-up images of the accused killer's face, arguing they could beryllium utilized to speculate astir his reactions successful court.

Prosecutors are expected to outline their grounds against Robinson astatine a preliminary proceeding scheduled to statesman May 18.