Utah County leaders are now busy navigating increasing costs, public frustration and media attention over the United States’ obligation to pay for defense attorneys in the case against Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin. Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner, one of three elected county commissioners who oversee policy, operations and finances, said that Utah County has already had to spend "just over a quarter of a million dollars" on Robinson’s case, according to Fox News. The figure is expected to double by the year’s end, and might even reach around $5 million over the next year and a half, she added.
"Under the Constitution, we have a right to a competent defense," Powers Gardner said, per the outlet. "It is imperative that if we want to have a society that we believe in justice, that justice needs to be fair and equal."
‘Got zero attorneys who were willing to take the case’
Powers Gardner said that she has heard from frustrated constituents that taxpayer dollars will fund his defense. However, she stressed the county’s duty to ensure a fair trial, especially in a case that might result in the death penalty.
Powers Gardner said that she is working to keep the community united after the tragedy. "My job is also to be a leader for my community, and that’s what I have focused on," she said. "You have to keep in mind, not everybody who was traumatized that day was a Charlie Kirk supporter. There were hundreds of people there that were protesting at that event and were just as traumatized that they saw a father and husband murdered."
She added, "Our community had a horrific event take place, and that horrific event has affected people across party and ideological lines. Our job in local government is not to play politics, but to take care of all of our citizens — the ones that voted for me and the ones that didn’t. They’re still my constituents, and I work hard for them."
Robinson is eligible for public defense, which means the country has to hire a death-penalty-certified team. All local attorneys reportedly declined the county’s standard contract.
"Because it is Charlie Kirk, we sent out that standard contract and got zero attorneys who were willing to take the case for our standard contract," Powers Gardner said. "It's a very emotionally and politically charged case. And because of that, none of our usual defense attorneys were willing to take the case."
Powers Gardner added that most of their usual contracts were not valid as this is a "very high profile case.” "That is very frustrating, but keep in mind that if there's any way that the defense in the future could claim that we scrimped or saved or undercut their ability to have a competent defense, that means appeals. And appeals mean more money and more time. It’s actually the most prudent use of taxpayer dollars to give Tyler Robinson a competent defense the first time,” she said.
Powers Gardner revealed that the county tried to join Utah’s Aggravated Murder Defense Fund in 2024, but was denied. The pool is designed to offset defense costs in capital cases. At the time of Kirk’s murder, the county’s reserve for aggravated-murder cases had just $31 left, she claimed, while estimating that the impact could be $5 per taxpayer spread over the course of the case. It could take about two years, she said.
‘Just housing Tyler Robinson in our jail is very expensive’
Powers Gardner said that there are new security and operational burdens too, and not just legal costs. "Just housing Tyler Robinson in our jail is very expensive… He will be transferred using armored vehicles, and we will have to clear buildings around the courthouse, and we will have to cover that because there have been threats," she said.
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Active-shooter training has been implemented by the county for the first time. This continues to absorb overtime costs.
"In six weeks, we’ve used $250,000 on this," Powers Gardner said. "And we haven’t even started appearing in court yet."
Powers Gardner praised Gov. Spencer Cox, calling him “incredibly supportive.” She appreciated him for being personally engaged in the days after the assassination.
Kirk, 31, was allegedly shot dead by Robinson on September 10 during an appearance at a campus event in Utah. The shooting happened around 12:20 pm local time during a student Q&A at UVU in Orem.
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder; obstruction of justice - moving a firearm; obstruction of justice - disposing of clothing; witness tampering - telling a roommate to delete text messages; witness tampering - directing a roommate to stay quiet; and violent offence committed in presence of a child. The prosecution has also filed notice of intent to seek the death penalty. "The decision to seek the death penalty is based on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” they said in a court filing.