Tyler Robinson’s new defense attorney has an uphill battle representing the accused assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, experts say.

“The goal for his new high-profile defense attorneys in the Tyler Robinson case is going to be keep him off of death row,” said Maryland attorney and legal analyst Randolph Rice, who is following the case. “And that’s probably their goal right now, or at least that’s what they’re thinking about.”

One option would be to seek a plea deal that spares Robinson from the potential death penalty, like Bryan Kohberger’s defense in the Idaho student murders. That could be months or even years down the line.

In Nester’s 30 years of experience, she’s defended capital cases in California and Utah, and recent high-profile clients include Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three accused of killing her husband and then writing a children’s book about dealing with grief.

She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Utah criminal defense attorney Kathryn Nester, pictured on the left of this combined photo, has been appointed to represent Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, right. (University of Texas School of Law/Utah Governor’s Office)

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray’s office announced the prosecution’s trial team would include six attorneys on Monday.

They include Gray, who spent 23 years with the state attorney general’s office and has appeared before both the U.S. and Utah Supreme Courts; Chad Grunander, who prosecuted Utah’s first-ever televised trial and has put cold case and cop killers behind bars; Christopher Ballard, who has argued more than 175 appellate cases; Ryan McBride, last year’s Utah Prosecutor of the Year; David Sturgill, a veteran prosecutor who is an adjunct professor at UVU, and Lauren Hunt, whose role in the case against double murder suspect Christopher Poulson garnered recognition from the FBI.

Judge Tony Graf enters the courtroom as Tyler Robinson, accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, attends a virtual court hearing from prison on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (Scott G Winterton/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)

Robinson is due back in court on Monday for a waiver hearing, which will determine whether the defense forces prosecutors to present probable cause before the case proceeds.

Declining to waive is a defensive strategy that would give his attorneys access to additional discovery materials and a chance to cross-examine state witnesses early on, Rice said.

Prosecutors have charged Robinson with seven counts, including aggravated murder, which carries the potential death penalty, felony firearms charges, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and committing violence in the presence of a child.

He has not yet entered a plea.