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Utah Attorney Kathryn Nester appointed in Tyler Robinson case
By: Sally Francom / Lehi Free Press
Provo (September 24, 2025) This afternoon, the Utah County Commission unanimously approved a contract to appoint legal counsel for Tyler James Robinson, as required under Utah law and after the court determined he couldn’t afford private counsel. This action fulfills the Commission’s constitutional responsibility to ensure individuals accused of a crime who cannot afford legal representation are provided with a qualified defense.
The contract names Kathryn Nester as counsel for Robinson.
During Wednesday’s meeting Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran said, “The cost to Utah County taxpayers will exceed $1,000,000 in both the prosecution and defense of this case.”
This is the one of several capital crime cases that are outside Utah County’s public defender’s contract.
Nester is a Salt Lake City based trial attorney with experience in capital murder cases, including those with high public profile. She is a partner in the Nester Lewis law firm. According to the firm’s website, Nester’s “sixty-plus jury trials have included a wide variety of complex cases including capital murder, murder, complex fraud, sex offenses, drugs and weapons cases in criminal courts and wrongful death, civil rights violations, employment discrimination and serious personal injury cases in civil courts.”
In reaching the agreement with Nester, the Utah County Commission relied on the advice of an independent criminal defense attorney, Greg Skordas, whom was retained to advise the Commission in these types of cases.
