A prominent defense attorney believes Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will never face a trial. Mark Eiglarsh, speaking on NewsNation's "CUOMO," said the odds of a trial are virtually zero, given the prosecution's incentives and the legal hurdles of capital punishment in Utah.
"If they can avoid it, hell no," Eiglarsh said when asked about the possibility of Robinson going to trial. He added colorfully, "They run to the nearest sporting goods store, they get the thickest knee pads, they fall to their knees in front of the prosecutors, and they beg them to take death off the table."
Robinson faces charges including aggravated murder in the Sept. 10, 2025, shooting of Kirk during a speech at Utah Valley University. He surrendered two days later after his family confronted him and police released surveillance images and details about the rifle used. A preliminary hearing began Monday, with the judge hearing from two of four scheduled law enforcement witnesses.
Eiglarsh argued that the prosecution could offer a deal that removes the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea and a waiver of all appeals. "The deal would include him waiving all of his appeals," Eiglarsh noted, emphasizing that this would provide closure for the victims and avoid a lengthy, public trial. "Let him live his life in prison," he said. "That'll be more difficult, or maybe they'll kill him quicker there, or whatever their reasons are."
The attorney also pointed out that securing the death penalty in Utah is far from guaranteed—it requires a unanimous jury of 12. That high bar, he said, makes prosecutors more likely to seek a plea bargain. "They run to the nearest sporting goods store... and they beg them to take death off the table," he repeated, underscoring the practical calculation.
So far, Robinson has not entered a plea, and his attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. If he pleads guilty before trial, the state could avoid a trial entirely. The case has drawn intense scrutiny, particularly given Kirk's national profile as a conservative commentator.
The legal strategy mirrors other high-profile murder cases where defendants avoided the death penalty by waiving appeals. In a similar vein, the Mangione hearing recently focused on jury bias concerns, highlighting how procedural hurdles can shape outcomes. Meanwhile, political dynamics in Washington, such as the House GOP civil war over Trump's SAVE Act stalling the defense bill, show how legal and legislative battles intersect.
Eiglarsh's prediction suggests that Robinson's case may end with a quiet plea rather than a dramatic trial, a resolution that could spare the state a costly and controversial proceeding. The next steps will depend on whether prosecutors offer such a deal and whether Robinson's legal team accepts it.
