Pat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.
PROVO — The Utah County Attorney's Office will continue to prosecute the Tyler Robinson in his capital murder case.On Tuesday, 4th District Judge Tony Graf ruled that he found no conflict of interest with a daughter of Chad Grunander — the chief deputy in the Utah County Attorney's Office — being at the event where Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
Robinson, 22, is charged with capital murder and faces a possible death sentence if convicted of assassinating Kirk, 31, on Sept. 10 on the campus of Utah Valley University during one of Kirk's Turning Point USA rallies before an estimated 3,000 people.A daughter of Grunander, a UVU student, was at the event and texted her family, including her father, in a group chat almost immediately thereafter, saying "someone" had been shot.Watch the court hearing live here: During a hearing on Feb. 3, 4th District Judge Tony Graf heard arguments from both sides regarding the disqualification question.Grunander, his daughter and Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray all testified that the girl had no influence on any of the decisions made regarding the prosecution of Robinson, including the decision to seek the death penalty. Prosecutors argued that there were so many witnesses to Kirk's shooting and so many videos collected following the killing — many of which provide stronger evidence than what the daughter, who was standing in the back, would be able to give — that she had "zero" influence on the state's case."The reality is … she did not see Charlie Kirk get shot. She's just not a witness," deputy Utah County attorney Ryan McBride said. "As a result, there's really no conflict here."Robinson, however, claims Gray delayed telling defense attorneys about the possible conflict and handled the entire situation in "an incredibly casual way.""The issue here is that the most experienced and most senior prosecutor in the office, other than the elected county attorney, should have been walled off from this prosecution until this court had an opportunity to consider whether disqualification is necessary ... but now it's too late," defense attorney Richard Novak argued.In his decision, Graf agreed with prosecutors that the decision to seek the death penalty was not influenced by Grunanders's loyalty to his daughter, but rather because it was appropriate in this case. "She has no uniquely relevant testimony to give," Graf said, noting the numerous other witnesses to Kirk's
Traffic Weather Sports Classifieds Cars Jobs Homes Television Radio Salt Lake Utah Local Crime Law Local Politics
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Federal court joins Utah Supreme Court in declining to block Utah's new congressional mapBridger Beal-Cvetko is a reporter for KSL. He covers politics, Salt Lake County communities and breaking news. Bridger has worked for the Deseret News and graduated from Utah Valley University.
Read more »
Taste Utah Bytes - Salt Lake County - Drunken KitchenIf you are looking for bold flavors and authentic cuisine, Drunken Kitchen in South Salt Lake is a must-visit.Katy Sine with Taste Utah sat down with owner and
Read more »
Texas Primary Elections: Where to find your polling locations, sample ballots, county by countyPolling locations and sample ballots, county by county, for the Texas Primary Elections on March 3.
Read more »
Bexar County deputy under review for shooting last summer, attorney saysA June 2025 video showing a deputy firing at a vehicle has prompted the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office to forward the results of its investigation for possible prosecution, attorney John Kuntz said Monday.
Read more »
'Culture of innovation': University of Utah to host U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeLogan Stefanich is a reporter with KSL, covering southern Utah communities, education, business and tech news.
Read more »
Judge denies motion to disqualify Utah County prosecutors in Charlie Kirk caseA Utah judge has declined to disqualify a prosecutors from the Utah County Attorney's OfficeMotion to deniedDefense failed to sufficiently show a conflict of in
Read more »