Tyler Robinson, the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been charged with aggravated murder and will likely face the death penalty. Prosecutors say that they have copious amounts of evidence against Robinson, who has been assigned a trio of experienced defense lawyers.

On Monday, Robinson attended a court hearing via a remote feed without video, according to a Fox News report. The 22-year-old, accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Kirk at a September 10 Utah Valley University event, is represented by attorneys Kathryn Nester, Michael Burt, and Richard Novak, all three of whom have experience in death penalty defense cases. Nester is the former chief of the federal defender offices in Salt Lake City and San Diego and has represented numerous high-profile clients facing the death penalty. Burt was head of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office where he worked for nearly 25 years and, since 2003, has specialized in death penalty defense cases. Novak served as a federal public defender in Los Angeles for years before being appointed to the role of Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner. He opened his own firm in 2005, specializing in federal and state criminal defense cases, including violent crimes.

While Robinson’s legal team did not ask to waive a preliminary hearing, during which Utah’s Fourth District Judge Tony Graf will determine whether or not prosecutors have enough evidence against Robinson to proceed to trial, the trio did ask that they be granted more time before the hearing to review the “voluminous” amount of evidence prosecutors were handing over in pre-trial discovery, especially the “massive amounts of digital” evidence gathered. Prosecutors said that they have amassed a “substantial” amount of evidence against Robinson, including witness testimony and an implicit “confession” from Robinson in the form of text messages and a note his transgender-identifying boyfriend as well as statements to family members. Graf set the next hearing for October 30. Robinson has not yet asked to enter a plea.

“As this case moves forward, Mr. Robinson’s constitutional rights will be protected at every stage,” Graf shared with the attorneys, in an obvious reference to the high-profile nature of the case and the vocal demands for justice following Kirk’s murder. “He sits before this court presumed innocent. That presumption remains unless and until each element of every offense charged against him is proved beyond a reasonable doubt,” the judge continued. Robinson is currently facing seven charges, including aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily damage, commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child, two counts of obstruction of justice, and two counts of witness tampering.

“At the same time and as applicable, victims are entitled under our constitution to be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity, free from harassment or abuse. Justice demands that both of these principles, the rights of the accused and the rights of victims, be honored without compromise,” Graf observed. He pledged to “carry out my duties with fidelity, transparency, and impartiality, treating every person who appears before me with the dignity and respect they are inherently due because they are human beings. Let me be clear, I will not put my finger on the scales of justice.”

Graf added, addressing the attorneys, “Counsel, regardless of who is watching, whether it is a nation or a single individual, we must fulfill our roles with integrity, civility, and diligence.” Chad Grunader, the lead prosecutor in the case, responded, “In like manner, we commit to approach this case with integrity, with professionalism, with civility. We are truth-seekers. We will aggressively pursue the truth in this case.”

In comments to The Washington Stand, Hans Von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, observed, “You cannot maintain a democratic republic when political violence becomes common. A democracy requires the ability to engage in civil debate and vigorous discussion, even peaceful protests, to function. Violence destroys all of that and damages the rule of law, which is a basic requirement for the American experiment.” He added, “Political violence must be fully prosecuted and punished, including applying the death penalty to assassinations, to not only punish such destructive violence, but to deter it and prevent it from becoming acceptable.”

Judicial Watch director of Investigations and Research Christopher J. Farrell told TWS, “It is essential that the trial of Robinson be conducted with maximum lawful transparency so that the general public has confidence in both law enforcement and the prosecution.” He explained, “In recent years, the Left has engaged in practices that have been divisive and corrosive — undermining constitutional protections and American citizens’ faith in justice. Restoration of ‘Equal justice under the law’ and educating the public on the facts of violent left-wing ideology and conduct is imperative.”