- Utah County seeks $2 million from the Legislature for Tyler Robinson's prosecution and defense costs.
- Robinson, 22, was charged with capital murder and could face the death penalty if convicted of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
- Lawmakers seem poised to approve funding to help the county following the unprecedented assassination at Utah Valley University last year.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah County officials are asking state lawmakers for $2 million in the next fiscal year to help cover costs associated with the ongoing prosecution and defense of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with capital murder and faces a possible death sentence if convicted of assassinating Kirk, 31, who was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in September. The Utah County Commission approved $1 million for staffing and support in the case last year but is now asking the state for additional help in the case, which made international headlines and continues to focus attention on the county.
"This case is especially complex due to the level of public interest involved," county administrator Ezra Nair told a legislative committee Monday, reading from a statement prepared by the Utah County Commission. "However, public interest cannot outweigh the constitutional protections guaranteed to both the victim and the accused. Assuring those prosecutions are upheld requires appropriate resources."
Rep. David Shallenberger, R-Orem, sponsored the request for state funds on behalf of the county, which "experienced the most high profile political assassination in our state's history," per the request form. The county is responsible for paying for both the prosecution and defense because it is a state crime, the form states.
The $2 million would only cover a portion of the trial, and "Utah County residents will have to pay for any portion of this that is not funded by the state," according to the request. "The county is mobilizing all available resources to ensure the proper time, dedication and resources."
Nair said Utah County spends more than 70% of its general fund budget on public safety, including $13 million for public defense and more than $16 million on prosecutions.
"We don't frivolously spend at Utah County," he said, noting that although neither Robinson nor Kirk resided in the county, "we're only asking for the state to partner with us for a portion of these costs."
Members of the Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee appeared inclined to support the request, but the state budget won't be finalized until late in the general legislative session, which ends March 6.
"This is kind of an unprecedented event in the state of Utah," said Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Highland, the Senate chairman of the committee. "It's what I would call a ... black swan event that nobody anticipated, and so I think that there's a lot of sympathy on that as far as not just dumping it into one local area."
