Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson’s effort to have former romantic partner testify in person is denied

Key Points:

• A judge denied Tyler Robinson’s motion to subpoena his former romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, to testify in-person at the preliminary hearing for the killing of activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
• Prosecutors successfully moved to quash the subpoena, intending to use a recorded interview, handwritten notes, text messages, and other evidence from Twiggs to establish Robinson’s involvement.
• The judge ruled that the state can rely on reliable hearsay evidence to establish probable cause at the preliminary hearing, emphasizing that this hearing is not a trial and does not determine guilt.
• Robinson faces multiple charges including felony aggravated murder, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty; he has not yet entered a plea.
• To protect fair trial rights amid intense media coverage, the court will ban electronics from the courtroom during the July preliminary hearing and will discuss additional subpoenas for forensic witnesses at the next court date.