A Utah judge dealt a blow to the defense team of Tyler James Robinson on Friday, clearing the way for cameras, microphones and photographers to remain inside the courtroom for a pivotal April hearing in the capital murder case stemming from the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Tony Graf Jr. issued the ruling during a pretrial hearing held March 13 in Provo, Utah.
Graf ruled against Robinson’s lawyers’ motions to exclude cameras during the April 17 hearing and to limit public access to certain documents in the case.
“In balance, the defendant has not provided a sufficient basis for the court to find that the interests favoring closure outweigh the interest favoring an open proceeding and the presumptive right to access,” Graf stated during the hearing, which was broadcast live on Utah television stations and their websites.
The April 17 hearing will address the actual merits of whether cameras should be allowed in the courtroom during Robinson’s legal proceedings going forward.
Judge Graf added that Robinson’s defense must file a redacted version of the motion to exclude cameras by March 30.
ABC4 reported that Defense attorney Michael Burt stated that the motion to prevent electronic coverage stems from concerns over potential prejudicial pretrial publicity, with the defense arguing such restrictions would help ensure Robinson receives an impartial jury and a fair trial.
CBS News said that Robinson’s defense team noted the April 17 hearing will involve discussions about prejudicial pretrial publicity, including evidence not yet admitted, personal opinions about guilt and public statements that would otherwise be inadmissible in court.
Burt told the court that revisiting such material in open court could end up “reinflicting a wound” to Robinson’s rights.
Defense attorney Burt cited a 1965 case, Estes v. Texas, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that televising a courtroom proceeding over a defendant’s objection violates the constitutional right to a fair trial.
Graf immediately directed Burt to Chandler v. Florida, the 1981 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that the presence of cameras was not inherently prejudicial to a defendant’s right to a fair trial.
“You cite Estes, but Estes was overruled by Chandler,” Graf told Burt.
Prosecutor Christopher Ballard dismissed the defense’s arguments, saying that careful questioning during jury selection and tools like expanding the jury pool can ensure a defendant receives a fair trial.
“So just saying that this is a content tornado or there’s been a barrage of media coverage doesn’t necessarily mean that there is going to be prejudice to the defendant,” Ballard said.
Ballard also argued that prosecutors were not representing the media, and that both defense and prosecution had been subject to unfavorable media reports.
“To say this is a content tornado, with a barrage of media coverage, doesn’t necessarily mean there’s going to be prejudice against the defendant,” Ballard said.
Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder and multiple counts of witness tampering and obstruction of justice — seven counts total, six of which are felonies.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has said he will seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted of murder.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was fatally shot in the neck with a single bullet by a gunman positioned on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards away while speaking at an outdoor campus debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, with around 3,000 people in attendance.
Robinson was arrested two days after the shooting in Washington City. Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to the killing.
