A Utah judge denied a request from the defense to subpoena Lance Twysgs, the partner of Tyler Robinson, for an upcoming preliminary hearing. Judge Tony Graf Jr. ruled that attorneys for Robinson did not prove that live testimony from Twiggs was required to present evidence that would likely defeat probable cause for trial.
During the hearing, the state indicated plans to use electronic messages, handwritten notes, and other corroborating evidence involving Twiggs to establish probable cause. Because a preliminary hearing serves only to establish probable cause rather than guilt or innocence, Judge Graf also denied a defense request to prevent the use of hearsay.
Additionally, the judge declined to immediately rule on whether prosecutors were in contempt of a gag order. The defense had requested that the court hold the prosecution accountable for what they described as a media tour concerning findings from a ballistics report regarding bullet fragments found at the scene of Charlie Kirk's death.
Prosecutors argued they were forced to communicate with the media following speculation in various outlets about inconclusive findings in the report. Judge Graf noted that additional briefs had been filed recently and stated he would consider those documents before issuing a ruling on Friday, June 26. The preliminary hearing for Robinson was scheduled to take place between July 6 and July 10.
