The defense of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating right-wing icon Charlie Kirk, could leave Utah taxpayers with a bill into the millions, potentially even exceeding $10 million, according to experts.
Kirk was assassinated while addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10.
Robinson was turned in to the police by his father and a family friend after a 33-hour manhunt. He has been charged with capital murder and a slew of other charges.
Prosecutors have made it clear that they intend to seek the death penalty. Under Utah Rule 8, Robinson’s court-appointed attorney must be “death qualified,” meaning they have handled numerous criminal cases, tried murder charges, and completed specialized training in death penalty representation. This requirement alone drives up costs, as only a select few lawyers meet these stringent criteria.
Kathryn Nester was appointed to defend him on Wednesday, and the Utah County Commission approved $1 million in initial staffing funds for both the prosecution and defense teams.
“This action fulfills the commission’s constitutional responsibility to ensure that individuals accused of a crime — who cannot afford legal representation — are provided with a qualified defense,” the Utah County Commission said in a press release about the funding.
Utah defense attorney Greg Skordas assisted the county in selecting a lawyer for Robinson and told Fox News that there’s “no ceiling” on the amount of money that can be spent on his defense.
Criminal defense attorney Neama Rahmani told the network that it is likely to surpass $10 million when factoring in the appeals process.
“I think when we’re all said and done, this will cost the state much more than $500,000. We’re talking about seven or even eight figures,” Rahmani said. “But if Tyler Robinson is sentenced to death, and he has to go through the mandatory Utah state and federal appeals, we’re talking about millions of dollars, potentially even north of $10 million.”
Even if Robinson does not get the death penalty, Rahmani said the cost will still be in the millions.
Utah-based attorney Skye Lazaro echoed these concerns, projecting at least a couple million dollars for the defense in a non-capital outcome, but far more if appeals are involved.
“I don’t even know how you’d put a dollar amount on that,” Lazaro said, affirming that Rahmani’s $10 million figure “isn’t off base.”
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