Judge Graf Lets Hearsay In Charlie Kirk Murder Case, Delays Death Penalty Ruling to Friday
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 19
Judge Graf Lets Hearsay In Charlie Kirk Murder Case, Delays Death Penalty Ruling to Friday
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 19
Summary
Monday's ruling handed Tyler Robinson two setbacks: Judge Tony Graf Jr. refused to force former roommate Lance Twiggs to testify at July's preliminary hearing and allowed prosecutors to use hearsay, including prerecorded testimony.
Graf said a preliminary hearing is limited to testing probable cause, not trying the case, and found the defense had not shown Twiggs' live testimony would likely negate probable cause rather than merely challenge credibility.
Friday's 8:30 a.m. hearing will address whether prosecutors violated a gag order and whether any sanction should strip their death-penalty notice in the Sept. 10, 2025 killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Prosecutors say removing capital punishment would be disproportionate and argue they were entitled to correct what they called a misleading defense claim about ATF ballistics; records say the bullet fragment was inconclusive, but the caliber matched and a spent casing did too.