A defense lawyer has been appointed to represent Tyler Robinson, accused of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an appearance at a Utah University earlier this month.
Kathryn Nester was chosen to represent Robinson under a contract with the Utah County Commission, who appointed lawyers for defendants who cannot pay private advice.
“This action fulfills the constitutional responsibility of the commission to ensure that the persons accused of a crime, who cannot afford legal representation, have a qualified defense,” said UTAH County officials in a statement announcing the appointment.
Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect of Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting, appears before Judge Tony Graf of the 4th District court through a videoconference during a hearing on September 16, 2025 in the fourth court of the Judicial District in Provo, Utah.
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Robinson, 22, has been accused of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm that causes serious body injuries, obstruction of justice, two positions of witness manipulation and commission of a violent crime in the presence of a child, announced the Utah County prosecutors last week, saying that they intend to seek the death penalty.
Nester, the defense lawyer, previously served as head of the federal offices of public defenders at Salt Lake City and San Diego for more than 10 years, according to a biography on the website of his law firm.
Judge Tony Graf, of the 4th District Court, reads the accusation documents during a hearing for Tyler Robinson, the suspect of the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, on September 16, 2025 in the fourth court of the Judicial District in Provo, Utah.
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His law firm, Nester-Lewis, has represented another accused in a high-profile Utah case: Kouri Richins, Utah’s mother accused of killing Her husband with a lethal dose of Fentanilo, who later wrote and published a book of children about pain after the death of her husband. Richins, who declared himself innocent, has not yet gone to trial.
Nester’s biography says he has more than 30 years of experience in the trial of cases in federal and state courts, including cases of prior capital murder and complex fraud cases.
Robinson is stopped without bail. His next appearance in the Court is scheduled for September 29.
