A Utah judge ruled Friday that cameras, microphones, and still photographers will be allowed inside the courtroom for the murder trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf denied a request from the defense to ban all forms of electronic media coverage, instead requiring reporters to file requests at least two weeks prior to each scheduled proceeding.
Robinson, 23, has been charged with the September 10, 2025, killing and could face the death penalty if convicted.
The defense argued that allowing cameras would jeopardize Robinson’s “fair trial rights,” telling the judge that restrictions were necessary “to ensure Mr. Robinson’s rights to due process, to a fair and impartial jury, to counsel, to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.”
At a hearing last month, the defense argued that media coverage in pre-trial hearings had already tainted the jury pool, pointing to several examples of pundits branding Robinson as a “monster” and fixating on items pulled from court filings, such as alleged post-shooting texts to his transgender-identifying roommate, rather than the substance of the proceedings.
The prosecution dismissed this argument, arguing that transparency strengthens public trust.
“Mischief lurks in the dark or in secret,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Chad Grunander said. “Conspiracy theories abound, and the antidote is the actual, real proceedings… Let’s shine a light on these proceedings, a bright light, so the public can have confidence in what happens in this courtroom.”
Utah courts have generally permitted cameras by default for a decade, and no criminal case in the state has been fully closed to cameras, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Graf said the court has implemented several measures to address the defense’s concerns, including requiring cameras to remain at the back of the courtroom to avoid capturing sensitive materials or conversations.
He also pushed back the preliminary hearing for July 6 through July 10, rejecting the defense’s request for a six-month delay to sort through the “voluminous” discovery materials.