Utah citizens are set to bear the financial burden for the defense team of Charlie Kirk's alleged killer, a cost that could potentially escalate into the tens of millions, according to criminal defense attorneys who spoke to Fox News Digital.
The incident unfolded on September 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, where Kirk was critically injured in a shooting and later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital, as per official reports. The accused, Tyler Robinson, faces charges of aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, felony discharge of a firearm resulting in serious bodily harm, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
As reported by Fox News Digital, Kathryn Nester, a seasoned federal public defender with over three decades of experience, was appointed as Robinson's attorney on Wednesday, a Utah County spokesperson confirmed. The Utah County Commission has sanctioned an initial $1 million for staffing additions to support the prosecution and defense teams in Robinson's case.
However, local attorneys anticipate the total expenditure for defending the murder suspect to significantly exceed this amount.
In a press release, the Utah County Commission stated, "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."
Greg Skordas, a Utah defense attorney, represented Utah County on September 16 and assisted in finding legal representation for Robinson. He explained to Fox News Digital that the attorney appointed to Robinson's case must meet specific qualifications due to the potential death penalty involved.
"They have to be what's called death qualified. I know that's weird, but we have a rule in Utah called Rule 8, which says in order to be court-appointed on a death penalty case, you have to accomplish certain things. In other words, you've done so many criminal cases. You've gone to trial on murder cases. You've taken classes in death penalty representation," Skordas explained.
While a financial contract exists, Skordas emphasized that there is "no ceiling" on it.
Neama Rahmani, a criminal defense attorney, suggested to Fox News Digital that if Robinson receives a death sentence from a Utah jury, the potential defense cost could exceed $10 million, largely due to 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 stated. "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."
Rahmani added that the cost borne by Utah taxpayers would be lower if the jury does not impose a death sentence, but it would still amount to millions.
Skye Lazaro, a Utah-based criminal defense attorney, estimated to Fox News Digital that the case would cost Utah taxpayers "at least a couple million dollars" for Robinson's defense, assuming the jury does not impose a death sentence. However, if a death sentence is handed down, the cost would significantly increase due to the appeals process, Lazaro noted.
"I don't even know how you'd put a dollar amount on that," Lazaro said, adding that Rahmani's $10 million estimate is not "off base."
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