PROVO, Utah (KUTV) — Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting and killing Charlie Kirk in September 2025, have requested to exclude photographers and cameras from the courtroom during portions of an upcoming hearing.
During the hearing, Judge Tony Graf Jr. is expected to consider arguments to ban media coverage from future hearings.
In a motion filed late February, Robinson’s defense team said they planned to introduce evidence demonstrating “harmful and prejudicial media coverage” of the case so far.
“Highlighting this evidence in a public hearing will serve both to republish and emphasize the concerning coverage, creating ‘exponential harm by increasing speculation and adding unwarranted credulity to the information where there should be none,'” the defense team argued.
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The defense team clarified it was not asking for the entire evidentiary hearing to be closed – only portions that include potentially harmful, prejudicial, misleading, and private information.
“Such limited closure balances the interests of public access with Mr. Robinson’s right to a fair trial and reliable penalty phase, preserving the integrity of the proceedings, and protecting the relevant privacy interests,” the defense motion states, in part.
The question of media access to trial proceedings has been an ongoing debate in the case against Tyler Robinson. His attorneys have previously asked the court to block cameras from the courtroom, while attorneys representing media interests have argued there is a public right to know.
Judge Graf has yet to make a ruling on media access, but has made smaller case-by-case rulings since the pretrial hearings began. Graf said there is a need to balance public access with Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
The evidentiary hearing regarding media access has been scheduled for Friday, April 17.
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