Charges have been filed against Charlie Kirk’s accused killer. What happens next?

By Taylor Romine, CNN

(CNN) — Almost a week after one of America’s most prominent conservative activists was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University, a 22-year-old man accused of executing the attack with his grandfather’s rifle appeared in court Tuesday to face state charges.

Tyler Robinson appeared in Utah’s Fourth District Court to face seven charges related to Charlie Kirk’s death, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, among other charges. County Attorney Jeff Gray said his office will pursue the death penalty.

Tuesday’s charges represent the first legal ramifications for Kirk’s death, which has shaken the nation as political violence has become more commonplace in the United States in recent years, and as President Donald Trump’s second term has had a politically turbulent start.

Prosecutors say a text conversation with his roommate, a confession to his parents and DNA evidence on a rifle found near the university will be the first steps in proving Robinson is responsible for the murder witnessed live by hundreds of people.

Robinson didn’t enter a plea during Tuesday’s hearing and will remain in custody without bail for the time being. The court is working on appointing him an attorney in time for the next hearing at the end of September.

The hearing marks the beginning of a long road to trial in state court while federal prosecutors consider their options for charges. While the case is still taking form, here are the next steps for what Robinson could face in court:

State case moves forward with seven charges

Prosecutors in Utah County, Utah, used an information document Tuesday to file seven charges against Tyler Robinson.

The charges include aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

The information document is a formal accusation filed by a prosecutor that requires the court to hold a preliminary hearing at a later date, when a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to move forward with charges.

“The purpose of the preliminary hearing is not to determine guilt, but simply to assure the court that the prosecution has enough evidence to proceed to trial,” the county attorney said during a news conference announcing the charges Tuesday.

In some circumstances, a defendant can waive a preliminary hearing, but it is not clear if Robinson will go this route.

A waiver hearing in Robinson’s case is scheduled for September 29. A plea won’t be entered unless a judge rules the preliminary hearing showed there is enough evidence in the case to move forward.

If prosecutors are able to get an indictment from a grand jury on the state charges, they will no longer need to have a preliminary hearing and would skip that step. They haven’t indicated if they are pursuing this option, but grand jury proceedings are secret and not able to be made public before an indictment is filed.

The judge also granted a pre-trial protective order for Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, meaning Robinson will be forbidden from contacting her.

As the state court proceedings move forward, investigators will continue to look for other evidence to support prosecutors, especially as the threat of federal charges looms.

Federal charges for Robinson still possible

While the Justice Department considered bringing federal charges against Robinson as early as last Friday, according to two sources familiar with the matter, nothing has yet materialized.

Speaking with Fox News Monday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department is still considering the matter.

“There’s not that many murder charges that are federal,” he said. “There’s stalking, there is certain deprivation of rights charges that we possibly could bring. But that goes after going through all the evidence and trying to understand what was this man’s motivation was in doing what he did. And if there’s a federal charge we will bring it — no doubt about it.”

“But if there’s not a federal charge, we’re gonna do everything we can to support Utah and make sure that they get everything they need from us,” Blanche added.

Vance Boelter, who is accused of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband has been federally indicted for stalking, murder and firearms offenses, among other charges. This could provide guidance for federal prosecutors in how to charge Robinson.

Federal prosecutors are also not able to bring a hate crime charge against Robinson. While the term “hate” might seem like it would include cases that show anger or dislike towards someone, it can only be used for specific protected classes, like a victim’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability, the Department of Justice says.

As of Tuesday, there is no word on whether a decision has been made, and it is unclear whether any federal charges would be in addition to or would replace state charges.

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CNN’s Chris Boyette, Josh Campbell and Rashard Rose contributed to this report