The suspect in the murder of Kirk appeared remotely at a hearing, sparking discussions about potential reasons for the off-camera appearance. Legal experts suggest concerns over jury pool influence and security may be factors. The defense team seeks more time, new attorneys are added, and the possibility of an insanity plea seems diminished.
This pretty much takes insanity plea for Kirk suspect 'off the table,' expert saysRobinson is due back for another hearing on Oct. 30, after his defense team, led by Kathy Nester, asked for more time to decide whether they would force an evidentiary hearing in the case against their client.
Two new names added to his team were announced during the hearing, attorneys Michael N. Burt and Richard G. Novak, both from California. Prosecutors said they had begun handing over discovery materials to the defense. They raised a question about the wording of a gag order on the case, which may involve more than 3,000 witnesses, and the defense asked the court not only for more time on the waiver question but also before they decide whether to request bail. There was a void in the courtroom, however, where Robinson would have sat and on the screen hooked up to the jail speaker he called in from. Judge Tony Graf, who is overseeing the proceedings, asked Nester if she planned to have Robinson attend in person next month.“Yes, your honor,” she replied. “Thank you.” It’s unusual but not unheard of for a defendant to appear remotely without video, a number of local attorneys and other authorities told Fox News Digital. The request for the setup came from the defense, the court announced over the weekend. It was not immediately clear why, but security concerns may have been on everyone’s mind after Kirk’s assassination and a Sunday morning attack on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan happened within 18 days of one another.Robinson’s attorney Kathryn Nester arriving at Utah County Court in Provo on Sept. 29, ahead of her client’s preliminary hearing.Security measures had been significantly bolstered ahead of the hearing, which saw few spectators beyond about two dozen reporters and a handful of other attendees. Police K-9s swept the premises repeatedly throughout the morning, and the court closed one of its two entrances to divert all traffic through a single door. The judge temporarily banned bags from the courthouse. Sgt. Ray Ormond, a spokesman for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News Digital that nothing happened to Robinson behind bars that would have prompted him to attend a hearing off-camera, he remains in the jail’s special housing unit, and he hadn’t been involved in any incidents with other inmates.8 Robinson’s defense attorneys Richard G. Novak, Michael N. Burt and Kathryn Nester speaking to Judge Tony Graf in court.The hearing took about 10 minutes total, and Robinson was not asked to enter a plea. Robinson’s defense team did not immediately respond to questions about the process, and there did not appear to be any record of Nester’s request in court documents.“The best person to answer this question is someone on the defense team,” said Christopher Ballard, general counsel and the public information officer for the Utah County District Attorney’s Office. Robinson faces the death penalty over the murder of Kirk during a Utah Valley University event on Sept. 10, 2025.The parties and the judge could have informally agreed to the arrangement, according to Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based legal analyst who is following the case. “Just a thought, I wonder if they are so worried about tainting the jury pool with additional images of him in that suicide smock that they’re avoiding any unneeded video of him from the jail,” he told Fox News Digital. Before the hearing started, a jail official said Robinson was present on the other side of a blank screen. He was not visible at all during the hearing, which the court said he would attend off-camera from the county jail.“And to the jail, do we have Mr. Robinson present?” Graf asked after attorneys for both sides had introduced themselves.“All right, Mr. Robinson, good morning to you as well,” the judge replied, indicating the voice belonged to the suspect.to his parents, his romantic partner and friends, according to court documents. Investigators also allege they recovered his DNA from the suspected murder weapon, a — distinctive enough that his father allegedly asked him for the rifle’s whereabouts after police had it in their possession. Authorities have said they believe he acted alone and only discussed the plot with other people after allegedly carrying it out.How a 24-year-old illegal migrant dad was caught posing as high school kid in the US — through one phone call Gov't shutdown 'probably likely,' Trump says, blaming Dems who 'want to give health care to illegal immigrants'Scott Wolf’s estranged wife, Kelley, enters mental health treatment for the second time in a monthKelly Ripa Has to “Reach Deep Down Into the Cleavage” on ‘Live’ After Her Mic Falls Down Her Dress, Prompting Mark Consuelos To Ask: “Can I Find It?” Tim Allen Yells At Whoopi Goldberg For Not Telling Him He Had Lipstick On His Face During ‘The View’ Interview Conspiracy Theorists Are Locked In On ‘Snake Eyes,’ A 1998 Movie Featuring The Assassination Of A Character Named Charles KirklandRobinson's attorney Kathryn Nester arriving at Utah County Court in Provo on Sept. 29, ahead of her client's preliminary hearing.Photo by Laura Seitz-Pool/Getty Images Robinson faces the death penalty over the murder of Kirk during a Utah Valley University event on Sept. 10, 2025.Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP, File
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