'Deeply disappointing': 4 reactions to 2028 trial date for Charlie Kirk's accused killer Tyler Robinson

3. Neal Hamilton

Analyzing the upcoming Tyler Robinson murder trial, defense attorney Neal Hamilton said that the case against Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer is different because the death penalty is on the table. 

“As the Supreme Court has said, death is different, and it's different because of the corresponding seriousness of the offense and the punishment,” Hamilton said in a statement to NPR affiliate KUER. “You can't take back a death sentence,” he added. 

Hamilton, who specializes in capital cases, explained that in trials where the maximum punishment for the accused is life without parole, counsel is “constitutionally expected to provide adequate defense.” The standard is higher in a case like Robinson’s, who faces the death penalty if convicted of murder, according to the attorney. 

Robinson’s attorneys had requested a 2029 trial date, he added, which is in line with the American Bar Association’s guidelines for a full investigation and mitigation. 

According to Hamilton, a full investigation and mitigation usually take a long time. He said the purpose of mitigation is for the defense to describe Robinson’s character before his alleged crime and argue why the jury “should choose life.”

“It's, you know, it's easy to portray our clients as a horrible insane monster,” Hamilton said. “Mitigation is showing who they really are.”