22-year-old Utah man charged with murder Charlie Kirk made my first personal court appearance Thursday as his lawyers push for further restrictions on media access in the high-profile criminal case.
Utah judge weighs in on case publichas the right to know the details in prosecution Tyler Robinson, despite concerns from his lawyers that media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.
Robinson's legal team and the Utah County Sheriff's Office asked Judge Tony Graf to injunct cameras in the courtroom.
Prosecutors charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting death of conservative activist Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, just a few miles north of Provo. courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.
Robinson arrived in court wearing wrist and ankle restraints, a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Robinson's father and brother sat next to her.
Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, appears at a hearing in Provo Fourth District Court on Thursday, Dec. 11. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool)
The defendant had previously appeared in court via video or audio broadcast from jail.
A coalition of national and local news organizations, including the Associated Press, is fighting to maintain media access to the case.
The count has already made allowances for defending Robinson's presumption of innocence before trial, agreeing that the case has attracted “extraordinary” public attention.
The Count held a closed hearing Oct. 24 as attorneys discussed Robinson's courtroom attire and security protocols. Under the judge's subsequent ruling, Robinson is allowed to wear street clothes in court during pretrial hearings, but must be physically restrained for safety reasons. The count also barred the media from filming or photographing Robinson's restraints after his lawyers said widely circulated images of him in shackles and prison clothes could harm future jurors.
Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, called on Graf to allow news organizations to weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other restrictions.
Media presence at hearings in Utah is already limited, with judges often assigning one photographer and one videographer to document the hearings and share images with other news organizations. Additional journalists, as well as members of the public, may usually be present to listen and take notes.
Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court “protects the integrity of the fact-finding process” while strengthening public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the US have long been open to the public, which he believes is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting journalists as they work to inform the public.
Robinson's legal team and the Utah County Sheriff's Office asked Judge Tony Graf to ban the use of cameras in the courtroom (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool)
Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk, called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras there.”
Her husband was an ally of President Donald Trump, who has worked to sway young voters toward conservatism.
Robinson's legal team claims his pre-trial publicity reached the White House, and shortly after Robinson's arrest, Trump announced, “We have him with a high degree of confidence” and “I hope he gets the death penalty.”
Defense attorney Kathy Nester said she was concerned that digitally altered versions of Robinson's original trial photo had been widely circulated, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images showed Robinson crying or becoming angry in court, which did not happen.
