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Charlie Kirk assassination suspect’s defense playing long game for possible death row appeal: legal expert
A former assistant U.S. attorney says Tyler Robinson’s defense team isn’t just fighting to win Friday’s rulings, they’re laying the groundwork for a death penalty appeal, regardless of how a judge decides two consequential motions in the alleged Charlie Kirk assassination case.
Judge Tony Graf is set to issue rulings Friday at 3 p.m. local time on two defense motions, one seeking to delay Robinson’s preliminary hearing, currently scheduled for May 18, and another to ban cameras from the courtroom entirely.
Former assistant U.S. attorney and criminal defense attorney Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital he thinks these motions are part of the defense team’s long game, aimed at creating issues that could be raised during appeal.
“The defense is probably thinking that if they raise these motions, whether it’s to exclude cameras in the courtroom or to disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office, they’re creating potential issues on appeal, even if Judge Graf denies those motions,” Rahmani said. “So if Tyler Robinson is sentenced to death, he may have more arguments that both state and federal appellate judges will be looking at if he is on death row.“
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He said it’s more likely that Graf will rule to delay the preliminary hearing, but cautioned it may not be pushed back by six months, as Robinson’s attorneys are requesting.
“I think it’s more likely that the judge grants the defense request to continue the preliminary hearing. And this is why, if they did receive hundreds of thousands of documents recently and they need time to go through it, it is the defendant’s right to a speedy trial. And the defendant has the right to waive that right,” he said. “Now, six months may be excessive. Maybe the judge continues it to some later date, weeks or months out. But ultimately, if the judge refuses to grant that continuance, that creates yet another issue on appeal.”
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Robinson’s defense team in January filed a motion to exclude “television cameras and microphones, still photographers, radio microphones and other similar implements of the electronic or broadcast media” out of the courtroom. His defense team argued that “highly sensational” media coverage threatens Robinson’s due process rights and the ability to seat a jury.
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During an April hearing, social psychologist Bryan Edelman, a witness called by the defense, said news coverage of the assassination of Kirk and Robinson’s alleged involvement included “sensationalized” content.
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Cole Christiansen, an investigator with the Utah County Attorney’s Office, argued that media coverage “went both ways” and wasn’t one-sided.
“I think the tone of it went both ways. I think some of the tone of it was negative toward the prosecution and some of it was negative toward the defense as well. Some of it was negative toward Erika Kirk, and some of it was negative toward Charlie Kirk,” he said.
“We strongly support open and transparent proceedings in this case, so that the public will trust the process here,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said during the April hearing. “There are conspiracy theories that abound. There are questions being raised, and the best antidote for falsehood is the truth in accuracy. It’s the actual real proceedings. And that’s why we favor opening this court and allowing the cameras in the courtroom.”
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In late March, Robinson’s attorneys asked Graf for a minimum six-month delay for the preliminary hearing, arguing they aren’t capable of reviewing the “voluminous” files received by prosecutors for discovery, which isn’t yet complete.
Robinson’s attorneys said in an earlier filing that defense attorneys received more than 600,000 files from prosecutors during a meeting on March 12, which they say will take time to review. His defense team asked for a minimum six-month delay for the preliminary hearing, which is currently scheduled to begin on May 18.
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“Discovery in this case is incomplete, voluminous, and the processing of it is complex,” the defense team wrote.
One of the defense’s experts, a forensic biologist, said she would need six months to review the evidence.
Robinson faces multiple charges after he allegedly killed Kirk, who founded TPUSA, on Sept. 10, 2025, including aggravated murder. His charges are death penalty eligible.
Fox News Digital reached out to Robinson’s attorney.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
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William Shatner says he’s ‘taking care of business’ at 95: ‘The least of all I want do is die’
William Shatner has no plans to slow down as he gets older.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the 95-year-old actor spoke about how he is able to keep going, when so many others his age have already slowed down decades ago.
“That’s why they’re old,” he said. “Shatner’s law is speed up, do more and forget the pain, take a pill if it hurts. You get older, you hurt more. Two things. One is a weightlifter who told me, ‘When I lift three, four hundred pounds, it hurts. I’ve learned,’ he said, ‘to make the hurt my friend. Welcome, friend. The pain is here, welcome.'”
Shatner, who is preparing for his upcoming live stage show “The Universe is Absurd,” went on to say that his “advice to old people” would be to “befriend” and embrace the pain.
The “Star Trek” actor then added that his second tip for those who are aging is to never stop moving, explaining that “if you stop moving, all you’ve got is the hurt.” He explained that one of his passions is riding horses, and competing in an equestrian event called reigning, which he described as “very physical.”
“The older you get, the difficulty is really getting on the horse. You have a mounting block, and you try to lift your leg up over it,” he said. “If I would have stopped that, half my life would disappear. So I don’t stop. I just go slower.”
Even after suffering an injury to his shoulder due to a fall off his horse, Shatner continues to ride, and will be hosting the annual William Shatner’s Hollywood Charity Horse Show later this month.
His busy schedule also includes his upcoming live show, “The Universe is Absurd,” which is a live, unscripted stage show with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson that will explore cosmic themes through banter and storytelling. The show is scheduled for May 10 and 20 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.
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Tyson and Shatner first connected when recording an audiobook, which eventually led to 20 hours of conversation between the two of them.
“I had to spend two days, 10 hours a day talking to a wonderful man who has become a good friend of mine now,” he said. “Those 20 hours have given us a foothold into conversation and that’s what we’ll have on stage. But in order for it to have energy, I have to disagree with them on many points, if not all.”
The worst thing that can happen at the show in Shatner’s opinion, is that “The audience walks out. We walk on, and they get up and leave.“
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In terms of what’s next for him, the “Boston Legal” star explained he doesn’t have a bucket list, but wants to continue doing the things he treasures, such as spending time with his dogs, riding horses with his wife and visiting his favorite coffee shops.
“I’m busy, and I’m vital and I’m riding horses and I’m taking care of business. And I just sold a horse,” he said. “I did a job on Friday and Saturday…I’m busy doing concrete valuable things, I don’t want to go anywhere. The least of all I want to do is die.”
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When reflecting on his life, Shatner shared that he is “thrilled to see the world” when he wakes up every morning, but shares that is “something that’s grown on me through the years.”
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He explained that a person’s mindset changes throughout the different stages of life. He shared that around 20-25 years old, people are busy building their future and are “self-energized by your own needs,” but slow down as they get older.
“When you’re 70 and 80, you look around at the magic of the Earth,” he explained. “You look at the incredible beauty of life. No matter if you’re hurting, welcome hurt. You’re alive, for God’s sake. In no time at all, you’ll be interred with turds and so relish as much as you can of your life because it’s over.”
He continued: “I’m here to testify. One truth I know. It goes by so quickly. When I hear somebody utter the number of my age, I’m tempted to look around to see who he’s talking about, because that doesn’t seem real. It seems like some bad dream. I’m how old? No, I’ll wake up momentarily. That’s how I feel.”
WATCH HERE: WILLIAM SHATNER SHARED HOW HIS PHILOSOPHY ON LIFE HAS CHANGED AS HE GETS OLDER
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Shatner previously gave audiences the secret to his longevity in a tweet on his 95th birthday.
“At 95, I’m still smokin‘! I’ve learned two things: Never waste a good cigar. Never trust anyone who says you should ‘act your age.'”
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