Judge Slams Prosecutor for TMZ Leak

In a fiery courtroom showdown, Utah Judge Tony Graf Jr. slapped lead prosecutor Christopher Ballard with civil contempt for telling TMZ they had “ample evidence” to convict Tyler Robinson — a move the judge deemed likely to sway jurors. While rejecting the defense’s demand to remove the death penalty, the judge instead ordered expanded jury screening to ensure impartiality. Ballard’s media comments, made in March and April, sparked outrage from defense attorneys who called it an “extremely reckless” media tour — but the judge said only removing the death penalty was legally off the table. The state will now cover defense legal fees, and the case heads toward a preliminary hearing in early July to decide if there’s enough evidence for trial. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5a19aef310541559