A Utah judge has announced that portions of a secret courtroom hearing will finally be made public in the criminal case against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of gunning down conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
Judge Tony Graf revealed Monday that a transcript from the closed-door Oct. 24 hearing will be released later that day, though certain sections will be blacked out.
Audio recordings from the private session will also become available to the public, but the judge cautioned it may take as long as two weeks before those files are prepared for release.
The disclosure came during a short video hearing that ran approximately 20 minutes.
Kirk, who was 31 years old, took a single bullet in front of hundreds of people during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
He succumbed to his wounds after the shooting.
Kirk left behind his wife, Erika, and their two small children.
Erika Kirk has become a vocal advocate for keeping the court proceedings open to public scrutiny.
She has argued forcefully that cameras should be permitted in the courtroom so Americans can watch the proceedings against the man accused of murdering her husband.
The widow has also stated that transparency would help counter theories that have circulated online about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
She wants the facts laid bare for all to see.
Erika Kirk has been given official status as the victim’s representative in the case, granting her certain rights to participate in and be informed about the legal proceedings.
The New York Post reported that Robinson did not show his face on camera during the proceeding, but he made his presence known when the judge called on him, stating, “Yes, your honor.”
The private October hearing was conducted away from public view so the court could decide whether Robinson would be allowed to wear regular clothes instead of jail garments and appear without handcuffs and leg irons in future court appearances.
Graf made the decision that Robinson could shed his orange jumpsuit but would remain in restraints when brought before the court, pointing to safety considerations.
Robinson made his first in-person court appearance since charges were filed earlier this month.
His legal team seized that opportunity to demand that news cameras be banned from the courtroom, arguing that press attention could poison potential jurors and destroy his ability to get a fair trial.
Still, large portions of that court session took place in private, shutting out both journalists and members of the public.
Defense attorney Staci Visser unleashed harsh criticism at reporters following the hearing, claiming news organizations violated Graf’s directives by supposedly photographing Robinson while he was in chains.
“We don’t want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom,” Visser declared at the time.
Robinson faces seven felony charges in connection with the shooting.
The charges include aggravated murder, firing a gun and causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and committing a violent crime in the presence of a child.
The stakes in the case could not be higher. If a jury finds Robinson guilty of the charges, he could be sentenced to death by firing squad.
Utah remains one of only five states in America that permits condemned prisoners to be executed by that method.
