The Utah County Commission has approved an agreement naming Kathryn N. Nester as lead defense counsel for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with capital murder in the killing of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, the Deseret News reported.
Nester is a seasoned Utah trial lawyer with decades of experience handling complex criminal and capital cases.
Robinson appeared via video from the Utah County Jail during a 4th District Court hearing in Provo last Tuesday, where he is being held without bail. He remained expressionless as Judge Tony Graf read the charges.
Graf appointed the public defender's office to handle the case but did not immediately name a specific attorney. Greg Skordas, a veteran Utah defense attorney and co-host of KSL NewsRadio's "Inside Sources," appeared on behalf of Utah County at Robinson's first court hearing.
Before entering private practice as a founding partner of Nester & Lewis PLLC, Nester served as executive director of the Federal Public Defender Office for the District of Utah, where she managed federal capital and high-stakes criminal defense.
She is known for meticulous case preparation and expertise in death-penalty litigation.
Nester will oversee Robinson's defense as prosecutors weigh seeking the death penalty, a process requiring intensive pretrial investigation and specialized mitigation work.
Prosecutors say Robinson fired a fatal single shot to the neck of Kirk, co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.