Court approves prosecutor's approach in Charlie Kirk murder case

A judge in the US state of Utah has rejected a request by the defense team of Tyler Robinson, who is accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to have the prosecution team recused from the case.

The defense argued that one of them, Chad Grunander, may be biased because his daughter was present at the scene and informed him of the shooting via text messages. Shortly after the attack, the prosecution requested the death penalty, which the defense described as an emotional reaction.

However, Judge Tony Graf ruled that District Attorney Jeffrey Gray had made the decision to seek the death penalty based on the evidence and after consulting with his team. According to the court, the presence of Grunander's daughter did not have a significant impact on the decision.

The defendant, Tyler Robinson, faces charges of premeditated murder, obstruction of justice, and interference with the investigation. Charlie Kirk was shot during a discussion at the University of Utah in front of hundreds of people.

(reuters, mja)