Utah taxpayers may end up paying more than $10 million to Tyler Robinson’s attorney to defend him in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, according to experts.
The enormous potential cost is possible because of the dramatic nature of this capital murder case – where the stakes are as high as the defendant’s life is at stake and there are likely to be years of appeals upon conviction, they said.
Robinson’s obstructionist lawyers “are suing anything and everything to try to bring the prosecution to the table to offer a deal for life without the possibility of parole,” Nima Rahmani, a prominent former prosecutor with no connection to the case, told The Washington Post on Monday.
“Yes, it costs taxpayers,” he said of the lengthy process, which recently included Robinson’s preliminary hearings.
“But what do you expect the defense to do? They’re playing the hand they’re dealt, right? And it’s not a good hand.”
The 23-year-old alleged left-wing killer is accused of fatally shooting the charismatic conservative co-founder of Turning Point USA, a 31-year-old married father of two, as he spoke before a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University in Orem in September.
The Utah County Commission approved $1 million in seed funding last year to pay Robinson’s high-profile attorneys and prosecutors in the case. Fox News reported.
Then a county lawmaker said in February that the state would need an additional $1 million for attorneys, for a total of at least $2 million, after the county had already paid the defense team $349,000. KUTV reported at the time.
Part of the reason for the high price is because Robinson — who was deemed too poor to pay for his own defense — is entitled under state law to be represented by a highly specialized team of attorneys who are experts in the appeals process.
Thus, they demand a higher price — and taxpayers must foot the bill while the case drags painfully slow while his lawyers try to take potential enforcement off the table.
A trial date has not yet been set for Robinson, 10 months after the Sept. 10 shooting.
The accused killer’s attorneys have obstructed the upcoming trial at every turn by filing a seemingly endless slew of motions ranging from repeated requests to block the media from photographing and filming in court, to seeking to have prosecutors disqualified and punished — all in an apparent attempt to bring prosecutors to the plea bargain table.
Rahmani said that with regard to Camp Robinson, it is hoped that this tactic will end with the prosecution overturning the death penalty, similar to what happened in the Brian Kohberger quadruple murder case.
“They are trying to pressure the prosecution to offer a lifetime deal,” Rahmani said of his lawyer. “Just like they did in Kohberger.”
“If the state offered a plea deal and a life sentence, taxpayers would save millions and millions of dollars,” the expert said, noting that putting someone behind bars for life is usually cheaper than sentencing them to death because of the cost of the appeals process.
Rahmani noted that Judge Tony Graf – who is overseeing the case – is being very cautious, which has slowed things down.
He said of the judge: “I think all attention is focused on the case. He does not want to make a mistake or be overturned on appeal.” “It’s very slow, very precise, very deliberate.”
Here’s the latest news on the trial of Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson:
Utah defense attorney Nathan Evershed told The Post that he actually expects Robinson’s team to use this delaying strategy because it is a common step in capital cases as a way to seek to secure a plea deal to life imprisonment.
“What typically happens is that the longer a case is delayed, the greater the chance of an agreement being reached outside of a settlement or plea agreement,” Evershed said.
“And it’s harder to find an off-road slope when it’s raw and full of emotion. Whereas it’s easier to find when it’s less difficult and you’re able to sit down at the table.”
He agreed with Rahmani that Robinson’s case would be expensive given the potentially long trial, his team of death penalty lawyers and expert witnesses who would have to be appointed to testify in both the guilt phase of the trial and the sentencing phase.
“It’s going to cost a significant amount of money to get to this point,” Evershed said. “And the only people who are going to pay for this are taxpayers.”
Last week, Judge Graf held a preliminary hearing that lasted several days, and must now decide whether probable cause exists to move the case to trial. This process is Utah’s alternative to grand jury indictments.
Not only was the hearing postponed two months from its original date in May, but Graf said he would not rule until further arguments in September.
A trial date will not be set until after his ruling and after Robinson is charged, which will happen if Graf finds probable cause. The accused is currently detained behind bars.
Kirk’s widow, Erica Kirk, his parents and family friends were present for the preliminary hearings, during which the judge was shown gruesome videos of Kirk’s shooting in public. Erika walked out of the courtroom as the horrific footage was played.
Erika did not respond to the Post’s request for comment Monday.
— Additional reporting by Jared Downing