politics
Utah Prosecutor Testifies on Gag Order Compliance in Kirk Assassination Case
Lead prosecutor Jeff Gray and county counsel Christopher Ballard appeared in court Friday over statements made to media about an inconclusive ATF ballistics report.
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Lead prosecutor Jeff Gray took the witness stand on June 12, 2026, in a Utah County hearing examining whether his office violated a gag order by responding to media questions about an ATF ballistics report in the case against Tyler Robinson. Robinson is accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk nine months before June 12, 2026, and has not entered a plea.
The hearing focused on statements prosecutors made after defense filings prompted coverage claiming the report ruled out a match between the recovered bullet and Robinson's rifle.
The defense motion highlighted that the bullet could not be matched but omitted that it also could not be excluded. Utah County general counsel Christopher Ballard testified that the gag order permitted responses to "potentially prejudicial media stories" not generated by the county.
He said a TMZ reporter asked whether prosecutors "still have a case" after the ballistics coverage and focused on reports that the finding undermined the prosecution.
Defense attorney Richard Novak accused prosecutors of violating the gag order. " Bernard Zapor, former ATF special agent in charge, stated that a bullet passing through a human body often disintegrates, making conclusive matching difficult. Jason Pack, retired FBI supervisor agent, stated that an "unable to identify" finding is inconclusive, not exoneration.
The defense is asking the judge to preclude the death penalty as a sanction for the alleged misconduct. The defense previously moved to remove the entire prosecution team because one prosecutor's daughter was present at UVU during the shooting; the court denied that motion.
The defense also requested six additional months to review evidence and asked that cameras be excluded from the courtroom during the preliminary hearing and trial.
The court ruled that cameras will be allowed during both proceedings. The preliminary evidence hearing is scheduled for next month. Hot Air reported that Robinson's defense has lost all prior motions on these issues.
