Cameras will be allowed at the trial of Tyler Robinson, the twisted Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, a judge ruled Friday, siding with the late activist’s widow and news agencies.
Lawyers for Robinson, 23, lost their argument that if the public continues to see images of the accused gunman in court, it could prejudice potential jurors against him. Robinson’s team claimed the press has sensationalized the case, pushed political agendas and villainized him.
Robinson is accused of assassinating the 31-year-old conservative podcaster and dad of two in September in front of a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University in Orem, where he was speaking as part of his Turning Point USA.
Kirk’s widow Erika, who is a victim representative in the case, has pushed for maximum press access – as have lawyers representing the media.
Press attorneys claimed the more access the public has, the easier it is to debunk conspiracy theories that have plagued the case.
Graf ruled against Robinson’s request, claiming that examples of coverage vilifying him doesn’t mean some outlets aren’t “using live media coverage to educate the public about the progress of the legal proceedings or the justice system as a whole.“
“It is the motives of these specific news reporters, the requesting reporters, that the court must question,” he said.
He ruled that outlets that want to bring cameras into the courtroom must submit a request at least 14 days in advance to give the defense time to raise a specific challenge.
Graf also granted Robinson’s request to push back the date of his preliminary hearing, overriding prosecutor Ryan McBride’s argument that the team had sufficient evidence for the early-stage hearing as he pushed to keep the May 18 date. The hearing date has been postponed to July 6.
Prosecutors can opt for a preliminary hearing in lieu of seeking a grand jury indictment.
Robinson’s team argued in court last month that they hadn’t received critical DNA evidence and were behind wading through the 200 terabytes of data from the prosecution — all of which would prevent them from preparing for the upcoming hearing.
“We shouldn’t punish the state and the victims and everyone else by delaying the proceedings,” McBride said.
Robinson is charged with aggravated murder, among other charges, in the shooting the 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder on Sept. 10, 2025.
Robinson is being held behind bars and would face the death penalty if convicted of the top count of aggravated murder.
