Prosecutors in the case against Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, have highlighted the past record of his defence attorney, Kathy Nester, during a dispute over what evidence may be admitted at trial. Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted, and this week's pre-trial hearings saw Nester attempting to keep key evidence out of the case. The clash matters because it could shape what jurors ultimately hear in a high-profile capital trial.

Nester, 59, is a veteran defence lawyer whose previous clients include polygamous sect leader Lyle Jeffs, synagogue shooter John Earnest, and Michael Kirk Moore, accused over false Covid vaccine certificates. She recently represented Kouri Richins, jailed for life in May for poisoning her husband. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray accused Nester of a double standard, noting she had given media interviews to counter alleged "misinformation" in the Richins case, yet sought to hold a prosecutor in contempt for giving a TMZ interview correcting false reports about the bullet matching the murder weapon.