Judge in Charlie Kirk Case Finds Prosecutors in Contempt

But the Utah judge would not block prosecutors’ use of the death penalty.

Judge Tony Graf presides over a hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, at the 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, on April 17, 2026. Trent Nelson/Pool via Reuters

Judge Tony Graf Jr. ruled on Friday that a deputy county attorney committed civil contempt when he made statements to the media about bullet testing in the case against Tyler James Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Graf stated that Christopher Ballard violated the judge’s gag order when he went beyond “merely correcting the ballistics record.”