CBS News — What to know about the charges and suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing

• Charges were announced Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old accused of shooting and killing Charlie Kirk last week while the conservative activist was speaking at Utah Valley University. 
• Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray charged Robinson with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child. Gray said he intends to seek the death penalty against Robinson.
• Robinson is being held at the Utah County Jail without bail and had his first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.

Erika Kirk granted pretrial protective order against suspect

Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, on Tuesday was granted a pretrial protective order against the suspect in his murder, Tyler Robinson, that prohibits him from contacting or harassing her.

“The defendant represents a credible threat to the physical safety of the protected person,” according to the filing granted by Judge Tony Graf.

Furthermore, Jeffrey Neiman, a Miami-based attorney, filed a request on behalf of Erika Kirk that she be designated a representative of her late husband in the case.

“It is requested that Erika Kirk, the widow of Charles James Kirk, be designated the representative of the victim in this case to exercise all the rights afforded the victim pursuant to Utah Code…,” the filing read. 

Court hoping to secure legal representation for Robinson by end of week, county attorney says

Part of the reason Robinson does not yet have an attorney is because public defenders do not handle capital cases in Utah County, an attorney for the county told CBS News.

Attorney Greg Skordas, who was part of Robinson’s court initial appearance on Tuesday but does not represent the suspect, is working for Utah County to find a lawyer for Robinson. 

Skordas said he has been conducting a search since last week and had originally hoped to have Robinson’s attorneys finalized by 3 p.m. Tuesday. He has narrowed the field to three or four firms and now expects the process to be completed by the end of this week, he said.

Skordas said the county will likely contract with two law firms and set parameters on attorneys’ hourly rates and determine budgets for private investigators, expert witnesses and other legal costs that would be incurred in Robinson’s defense.

State formally files to seek death penalty

Following Robinson’s initial court appearance, the state of Utah filed its intent to seek the death penalty, which prosecutors said they would do during the hearing.

“The State of Utah, by and through its counsel, Jeffrey S. Gray, Utah County Attorney, and pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 76-5-202(3) (2022), hereby gives notice of its intent to seek the death penalty for Count 1, Aggravated Murder, as charged in the Information,” the notice reads. 

Robinson will be appointed an attorney

Robinson did not have an attorney for his first court appearance on Tuesday. Judge Tony Graf said at the outset of the hearing that he had found Robinson to be “indigent,” meaning he is not able to afford his own attorney, and that Graf will appoint a lawyer to represent him.

Graf also reiterated Robinson’s right to remain silent and the possibility that anything Robinson said during Tuesday’s hearing could be used against him in future court appearances.

Aside from stating his name as “Tyler James Robinson” at the beginning, Robinson remained silent throughout the proceedings.