Cameras should be banned from court hearings for Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, both law enforcement and the defense team for Tyler Robinson are arguing in court. They’re asking a judge to limit media coverage of the high-profile case.
The request was detailed in a court filing by Robinson’s defense attorneys, who also have argued that their client should be allowed to wear plain clothes and sit without shackles during his court hearings in order to preserve his rights to a fair trial and not taint a potential jury. Utah County prosecutors oppose that request, but their arguments were filed in secret because their response discusses security measures at the Provo courthouse.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office has asked 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf to prohibit any further photography or video coverage of any future proceedings, Robinson’s attorneys revealed in their latest filing, adding that they agree with that request.
Graf, a newly appointed judge, has vowed that he will conduct the proceedings “open to the public” and that they will be “handled with diligence and competence to ensure that justice is never compromised.”
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But the defense attorneys argue that limiting courtroom imagery would ensure that Robinson’s physical appearance is “no longer the subject of interest” in media coverage.
The sheriff’s office also suggested that Robinson appear via a video feed from jail, according to the latest filing, but his attorneys pushed back on that and said it would not allow their client to meaningfully participate in the court process.
Robinson is accused of shooting Kirk, the controversial Turning Point USA founder, on Sept. 10 while Kirk was speaking in front of thousands at Utah Valley University. Utah County prosecutors charged him with seven counts, including aggravated murder, and he faces a potential death sentence if he’s convicted.
The defense attorneys argued that there have been thousands of instances of “pretrial publicity” that have “relentlessly focused” on Robinson’s demeanor and appearance during his first court hearing, where he appeared via a video feed from Utah County jail wearing a jail suicide-prevention smock. The hearing was livestreamed online and has drawn wide discussion and commentary on social media.
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Robinson’s attorneys argue that the amount of attention on this case has caused a “content tornado” which has mixed accurate information with exaggerated and fake images online.
For example, in some images circulating on social media, Robinson’s initial court photo has been altered to show him frowning or crying, though he didn’t during the hearing. Other photos circulating show him wearing an orange jumpsuit and making an outburst in court, which never happened.
In Utah state courts, hearings are presumed to be open to the public, and journalists can attend hearings and take notes. A judge can designate one media photographer and a videographer to document a hearing, who can then share that imagery with other media outlets. The Salt Lake Tribune has been approved to take photos at Robinson’s next public court hearing next Thursday.
“Our nation has a long tradition of keeping criminal matters open to the public,” said attorney Mike Judd, who represents The Tribune. “That tradition is proof that a trial can be conducted fairly without barring the courtroom doors to reporters working to keep the public informed.”
Graf has scheduled a closed hearing on Friday for the defense and prosecutors to privately argue their points on whether Robinson can wear plain clothes and whether other restrictions should be put in place for what are expected to be lengthy court proceedings.
The latest filing from the defense indicates that the sheriff’s office argues in a sealed document that defense concerns about prejudicial pretrial publicity are “hypothesiz[ed].”
In response, Robinson’s attorneys pointed to a number of statements that top elected officials at both a local and national level have made after their client’s arrest.
Those comments include remarks from President Donald Trump, who announced shortly after Robinson’s arrest that “with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” and said, “I hope he gets the death penalty.”
On that same day, the defense attorneys noted, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced “dramatically” at a news conference: “We got him.”
